Wounded Warriors
by Lady Keane
Summary: Part II now up! A Powerpuff Girls/Samurai Jack crossover. A new evil force descends upon Townsville, followed by a mysterious new hero. But what place do the girls have in all of this?
1. Default Chapter

Wounded Warriors 

"Wounded Warriors"  
A Powerpuff Girls/Samurai Jack crossover 

Part I

A chilling breeze lightly ruffled Jack's kimono sleeves in the otherwise balmy air, and he shivered.  
He could feel him nearby.   
It was odd. This place looked completely untouched. Clean tree-lined streets bathed in sunlight, healthy looking children scampering about the luscious green lawns of well-kept houses. But this little halcyonic locale, as the shaman had told Jack before, was a far outpost of Aku's power.   
And it wouldn't be long until he arrived. 

* * *

Bubbles squinted hard, struggling to decipher the beautiful lines of Kanji calligraphy that lay before her.   
"Ima… gawa." she recited.   
Utonium ruffled her hair gently. "Very good, sweetheart!"   
"Imagawa," Buttercup repeated. "That's grandma's maiden name, isn't it?"   
Reaching over Bubbles' shoulder, Utonium smoothed out the slightly yellowed paper she was scanning over, revealing more passages of Japanese writing.   
"That's right. Her family came over here to Townsville when she was still a teenager. Before that she lived just outside Kyoto."   
"Oh…" Blossom grunted urgently, flipping through a small musty atlas on her lap. She found the page she was after and held it up to her family, indicating the aforementioned city.   
"On the island of Honshu, in the Kinki region!" she stated eagerly.   
Utonium beamed. The girls were certainly taking warmly to this. 

They sat together in the sunlit family room. The coffee table was veiled by a sea of papers and documents: family trees, genealogy reports, history books and other such data.   
Professor Utonium had always had a deep fascination with the romance and tradition of the past—and more importantly, his own family history. While he was not technically Japanese, a close identification with the country had always been strong with him. Growing up in Tokyo Townsville, his childhood had been dominated by the culture, despite the fact he was often ostracised by the full-blooded Japanese emigrants that surrounded him-- they had dubbed him with the nickname Ao. ('Blue', like his eyes.)   
Still, a little bit of name-calling in the past hadn't fazed him. Having since taken many a trip to the Far East, he had managed to trace his roots back into antiquity (with the help of a few friendly historians) at one of Kyoto's universities.   
Presently, he was sharing this information with the girls. While they were not considered to be Imagawa stock, Utonium wanted to make his daughters feel that his heritage was theirs, too—a solid and unique familial foundation in which they could take pride. 

Buttercup had picked up one of the history books and was carelessly skimming through it.   
"So…" she asked lazily, "d'you know who our ancestors were or anything?"   
Utonium searched through the mess on the table and picked out a diagram of the Imagawa bloodline.   
"As a matter of fact, I've managed to trace the family back as far as the late eighteenth century. Apparently our ancestors were from a family of Daimyo."   
"Di-mee-oh?" Bubbles' mouth toyed with the sound of the unfamiliar word.   
"Japanese feudal lords," Blossom informed, a touch of self-importance colouring her voice. "They owned land and had their own soldiers to command."   
She turned to Utonium. "Does that mean we're nobility?"   
The question was met with a chuckle. "Well… sort of. The ruling titles were destroyed decades ago, and the Daimyo lost influence even way before _that_."   
Oblivious to her father's words, Bubbles sparkled with joy. "That means I'm a Japanese princess! Just like Sailor Moon!"   
Buttercup groaned. "Sailor Moon isn't real, dummy. She's not even proper Japanese. The Moon Kingdom is _different_."   
The golden-haired little girl crossed her arms in defiance. "She is _so_, real!"   
"Alright, you two." Utonium picked up Bubbles and placed her on his lap, distancing her from Buttercup.   
"How about before them?" Blossom piped up.   
Utonium sighed. "There's not much information, I'm afraid. Just a few administrative things here and there, land titles and such. However, I did find a couple of folk myths about the Imagawa family. Stories about things like royalty and magic and samurai..."   
Blossom's head snapped up at the sound of the final word.   
"Samurai?"   
"Oh, none of it's real, of course, but it was entertaining to hear about all the same. I have a copy of the stories lying around somewhere…"  
The redheaded youngster leapt up from the carpet with enthusiasm. "Oh, yeah! Can you read them to us, Professor?"   
Utonium held Blossom's cheek in his hand gently. "Absolutely," he replied. "They'd make great bedtime stories, don't you think?"   
A unanimous cheer came up from the triplets. 

Blossom was ecstatic. Samurai! Her father's passion for history had certainly never been lost on her. Often was the time she had dreamed of those exotic lands steeped in tradition, heroism and bravery. The epic stories she had been told were the ultimate escapism-- sometimes she liked to imagine that she was a princess from a long line of noble warriors… instead of the rootless test tube baby she really was. 

The placid atmosphere was abruptly smashed by the familiar electronic buzz of the Powerpuff hotline. Quick as a flash, Blossom leapt over to the phone.   
"Yes, Mayor?…"   
A speedy conversation later, the three girls were out the door. 

* * *

Even as she soared over the greenery of suburbia, Blossom could tell something was terribly amiss. There was something in the air: an eerie, muggy stillness that hinted at… she wasn't sure what, but it made every fibre in her body tense with anxiety. This latest threat to the city was no mere giant lizard attack, that was for sure. Perhaps Him had once again emerged from his lair? 

As the girls approached the city centre, they noticed a thick black mass of cloud draped upon the skyline. Almost like a fog of darkness.   
"What the…" Buttercup gaped.   
As they descended into the inky gloom, it became near impossible to see. Clumsily, the three sisters managed to land upon the pavement. It was still pitch black.   
"Put on your supervision!" Buttercup suggested.   
No good. It didn't improve anything. 

Blossom sighed. "There's no way we're going to figure out what to do while we're down here. Let's go back up."   
She took off, expecting to hear two other ascensions succeed her.   
"Girls?"   
Silence.   
"Girls, come on!" 

The light anxiety that had been with Blossom ever since leaving home rose up and took firm hold, choking her with dread. Her sisters had disappeared.   
"GIRLS!" She screamed, frantically flying about in the darkness. She had lost all sense of direction. For all Blossom knew she could have flown down one block or out of the city entirely. This wasn't just an absence of light, this was…  
Blackness.   
Her world had been _replaced_ with blackness.   
The little girl had never felt more lost in her life. 

Disoriented and tired, she gave up her unavailing search and flopped down in the dark, burying her head in her hands.   
The usually confident and clear-thinking child felt tears well up in her eyes and spill down her cheeks. What on earth was happening? In the space of a few seconds everything around her had disappeared. Replaced by nothing.   
Well, sort of.   
In a way, at least the blackness was _something_…  
Something that was starting to close in around her waist very tightly.   
Blossom tried to wiggle her way out of its grasp, but it didn't budge. It clutched her tighter, and began to raise her slowly up.   
As she struggled, Blossom swore she could hear something. A low, guttural sound…   
almost like laughter. 

* * *

Droves of frightened Townsville denizens hurried down the city streets as the great mass of darkness began to pulsate with life. Deliberate and trembling, the formless clump began to rise, its height increasing rapidly. Tentacles of black spewed forth from the centre like branches of a massive tree. Eventually, the entity stopped growing, and those tentacles started to shape themselves into more refined appendages. Two long, spindly arms and a massive head, adorned with four coal black horns… 

The monster turned to face the city, basking in the plague of terror he had caused. He laughed, a low and grating noise that shook the very earth he stood upon.   
"And now. . ." The monster announced, "to commit the deed that should have been committed so long ago!"   
He looked down at the three little girls he held in his claws. 

"No way!"   
Searing with anger, Buttercup used all her strength to wrench herself out of the monster's grasp. In a flash of hot green lightning, the tiny girl cast a mammoth, debilitating blow to her gargantuan rival, almost doubling him over, and freeing the other two from his clutches. 

But he was not so easily subdued. Once again rising, towering over the trio, the monster narrowed his eyes at them.   
"Your mindless brute force has won out for so long… but now you shall know what REAL power is!"   
The girls exchanged glances.   
After a short moment of uncertainty, they swooped down upon their foe, circling like little blowflies about his head. Bubbles initiated the attack with a sonic scream…  
…and fell.   
She tumbled out of the sky, landing on the roof of an apartment building. She was dizzy, her ears were ringing and her head was aching.   
The only one her attack had done any damage to was herself!   
Buttercup tried next—her red-hot laser eyebeams. She narrowed her eyes, aimed directly at the monster's face, and recoiled in pain as she felt her body being singed by the force of her own assault. 

It hadn't taken Blossom long to catch on to what was happening.   
"Girls, stop attacking!" She cried, zooming down to help them from where they had fallen.   
"It's using our powers against us!"   
"Right you are," rumbled the monster, and before Blossom could say another word, he cast a blinding white light upon the trio, paralysing them.   
The monster grabbed the girls in his large nasty claws.   
Constricted and weakened, Blossom could feel the blackness close in around her once again. 

"Put them down!" declared a crisp, no-nonsense voice.   
As one, the sisters looked up. Upon the rooftop stood a solid human figure, a silhouette obscuring the monster's dazzling light.   
Like a vampire to a crucifix, the monster gaped in dread.   
"You!"   
The stranger charged, drawing an elegant curved sword. Even in the haze the light caused, his actions were graceful, swift and direct. With little effort he struck the monster, hacking off his claw at the wrist. The monster drew back and screeched in pain, the light disappearing with the damage of the blow. 

Blossom squinted, her eyes adjusting to the gentler daylight.   
"Professor?"   
Oh no. Not _again_. Even after his previous stint as Powerprof, it seemed Utonium hadn't learned his lesson about constantly chaperoning the girls on their missions. And this time he was posing as some kind of sword-wielding samurai? Maybe all that family tree stuff was getting the better of him… 

'Utonium' glared at the injured creature.   
"This is the last of your rampage, Aku. Finally I can— "   
Using his remaining claw, the monster named Aku cast a ball of flaming energy at the incensed 'Utonium'.   
He saw it coming, but not soon enough. As he tried to dodge, the ball hit the side of his thigh, the shattering impact knocking him to the ground.   
Heaving with the effort, Aku grinned, revealing terrible yellowed fangs.   
"Not so easy, is it, Samurai? I assure you… this is not over." 

In a massive spiralling vacuum of cold black wind, Aku disappeared, leaving an unsettling void of peace and silence in his wake. 

* * *

Blossom's head was spinning. She had been tackling archvillains and the forces of evil since birth, but she had never come across a creature so… _imposing_.  
Where on earth had he come from?   
And what was Utonium doing trying to oppose him?   
She turned to look at the man, sprawled out unconscious a few feet away. 

"Professor?" Bubbles looked down at him worriedly.   
Buttercup rolled her eyes at her golden-haired sister. "He's unconscious, he can't hear you!"   
Bubbles stuck her tongue out in retaliation.   
Ignoring her sisters, Blossom took 'Utonium's' face in her hands and softly slapped his cheek.   
"Professor, it's me. Wake up… Professor?"   
Suddenly she gasped. 

Indeed, he was nearly the spitting image of Utonium, but there were a few tiny differences in his features that she had not seen until now. For instance, the whispers of ethnicity in her father's face were a lot more pronounced with this man—he was definitely of full Oriental blood. And even with his eyes closed, the little Powerpuff noticed something sterner and more rigorous in his countenance—not the soft benevolent expression of Utonium at all. 

"Girls, this man is not the Professor." She announced. 

After a brief squabble, the triplets agreed the best course of action was to take the still comatose stranger home. Their childish curiosity had won out over the obligation to take him to a hospital—they were itching to find out about this mysterious doppelganger. Besides, Utonium was experienced enough in medicine to treat any minor battle wounds competently. 

* * *

Jack awoke, greeted by the intense pain that coursed the length of his right leg.   
His eyes were still closed, but he could hear someone speak. A soft female voice, high pitched and delicate, but it had a familiar ring of intelligence and clarity to it that made it stand out like a beacon in a fog of disorientation.   
"Mother?"   
No. His eyes struggled open to find himself looking into the face of a small child with penetrating eyes the colour of cherry blossoms.   
"Professor, he's awake!"   
Utonium strode across the laboratory tiles to the bench the stranger lay on. He had had ample time to recover from the shock of glancing upon a face so similar to his own, so he managed to say in a calm and unwavering tone:   
"Welcome back." 

Jack drew back in utter shock. What he first guessed was some kind of enchanted mirror was apparently another being taking his own form. He reached for his katana and tried to leap off the table, but the man held him down.   
"Woah, hold on there. You won't be able to use that leg of yours for quite some time. You've got fractures running its entire length."   
Pausing, Jack glanced down at his crippled limb, which was presently swathed in bandages and secured with a stiff splint. He looked back up into the man's face, noticing his kindly eyes and sympathetic air. Understanding calmed him, and he lay back down on the bench in a reserved manner. 

After he rested there in silence for a few tense moments, Buttercup piped up.   
"Does he even understand what you said?"   
"I am sorry," the stranger vouched, his voice soft and courteous. "I did not realise that you were trying to help me."   
He looked at Blossom and her sisters and grinned. "You were the girls from before, weren't you?"   
"Yup!" Bubbles chirped, leaping onto Jack's stomach. "My name's Bubbles, what's yours?"   
Jack's smile evolved to soft laughter. "People call me Jack."   
"That's quite a peculiar name for someone of your stature," Utonium mused, scooping Bubbles up in his arms. "If I'm not mistaken, you're a samurai. One from a very ancient era, at that."   
Jack nodded. "It is the alias I have gone by since leaving my homeland. In truth I am a son of the Imagawa family."   
Utonium froze. Could it be…? 

"I-Imagawa?" he parroted.   
Again, the samurai nodded.   
"From the olden days?" Bubbles asked.   
"I suppose you could call it that, I come from a time before your world of electricity and skyscrapers and firearms."   
Utonium put Bubbles down and rushed over to his laptop. His hands shaking in excitement, he brought up a display of Jack's DNA from a sample of blood collected during his treatment, alongside a display of his own.   
There was no mistaking it.   
This man was indeed one of his forefathers. 

Blossom had been surreptitiously peering over Utonium's shoulder the whole time, and she too gaped at the information on the screen.   
"Wow," she remarked breathily, "Professor, does that mean—"  
"Yes, Blossom."   
He turned to the rest of the group.   
"I believe that Jack here is a member of our family. He and I are a part of the same bloodline."   
"Grandpa!" Bubbles squealed delightedly.   
Blossom frowned. "Not really. He's the Professor's ancestor, but he's not exactly related to us." She said mattter-of-factly, her face falling.   
Utonium placed a comforting hand on Blossom's shoulder. 

"I… I had no idea that the Imagawas were once samurai. I thought that was just a myth," he said, turning to Jack again.   
"We were the royal family, actually." Jack responded serenely, invoking a huge double take from Utonium.   
"Royals?" The scientist squeaked.   
"Wow…" Blossom's eyes sparkled.   
Jack sighed. "Our land was prosperous and peaceful. My father… Emperor Imagawa Minamoto… ruled kindly and justly."   
Jack hesitated briefly, a ghostly consternation paling his face.   
"Until one day in my childhood, our harmonious land was besieged by an evil of incomparable power and cruelty…" 

* * *

The echo of a horrendous roar bounded off the infinite walls of limbo. A few seconds later, the abyss fell into silence once again.   
Perched upon a throne in the depths of his labyrinthine lair, surrounded by his unholy attendants, Aku seethed with bald-faced anger.   
"They were in the palm of my hand. I finally had them. Then HE had to show up!" 

"Hold still," instructed a sweet contralto voice to Aku's side. While he had managed to regenerate his claw after the battle, it still ached badly. Presently, it was being tended to with ointments and healing spells by Aku's most beautiful and favoured servant.   
This sleek and graceful creature had no official name. To the other imps and demons created by Aku, he was a figure to be admired and envied for his special place in the sorcerer's affections. To Aku himself, he was a plaything and courtesan of endless enjoyment, despite his haughty and often aggravating nature. To the citizens of Townsville, he was the embodiment of evil, and was only ever referred to fearfully as 'Him'. 

Aku sunk down in his seat, and held his forehead in his free claw.   
"I do not understand. How did he manage to track me down at the precise moment I did not want him to interfere?" he lamented.   
Him cocked his head to the side casually. "It seems to me that the samurai is the one you're really after. Why not just get him instead of bothering to kill three innocent children?" 

The sorcerer tensed. His eyes burned. He lashed out fiercely, seizing Him by the collar and hurling him to the stony floor.   
"How dare you ask that question!" he thundered. The other attendants shrank back from their master, gazing up at him with timid eyes.   
"I gave you the power to manipulate all life-forms to obey your every whim. I gave you opportunity after opportunity to do away with those girls for good. And how do you repay my gratitude?"   
Aku halted briefly, and the fear in Him's eyes grew for anticipation of his next words.   
"YOU FAIL ME!!"   
A stone pillar fragmented into a thousand tiny pieces as Aku slammed his claw right through it. The whole court shook violently with the impact. "Time and time again you flee from combat with those children after the first sign of defeat! You defy the very purpose I created you for!"   
A traumatised Him felt tears falling down his face. "But… but what about—"  
Aku narrowed his eyes and growled "Do not think you are the only one I amuse myself with. I would have destroyed you long ago…"  
Aku's spite turned to licentious lust. Dragging his snake-like tongue across his slimy lips, he took Him's delicately pointed chin in his claw.   
"…If you were not so lovely."   
Him cast his gaze down demurely.   
"But no matter," Aku mumbled, turning away. He sat back down in his throne, lacing his long fingers together above his chin.   
"As you say, these warrioresses of justice are mere innocent children. They shall have to let their guard down sometime."   
A scheming smirk appeared on his face. "I shall wait until they are at their most vulnerable. Then I will attack." 

Him hung his head, a weight of despair sapping his remaining energy. It was futile. He had not served his purpose, so the girls were going to die at the hands of Aku. Who knows what would happen to him after that? 

* * *

In a history book opened upon his lap, Jack pointed to a photo of an ancient ink painting depicting a beautiful, towering Japanese palace.   
"This was were I grew up."   
As one, the wide-eyed Powerpuffs gushed.   
"What was it like?"   
"Did you get all the toys you wanted?"   
"Were there bad guys to fight there?"   
"Did your parents make you eat _sushi?_" 

"Okay," Utonium appeared behind the girls, halting their voracious curiosity. "I think Jack's answered enough questions for now. He needs his rest."   
A unified protest arose from the girls.   
"Now now," the gentle patriarch clucked. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes anyway. Why don't you go wash up? Blossom, you can help me set the table." 

Jack reclined on the sofa restfully as Utonium and Blossom carried armfuls of utensils out to the dining table and began arranging them scrupulously at each place.   
"Hope you like spaghetti," Blossom said to Jack perkily.   
"I'm sure it is delicious. I have travelled much and become accustomed to the foods of many cultures." 

He turned his attention back to the book, away from the ginger-haired child. Not because what he was reading was of any particular interest, but the thoughts dwelling in his conscious mind were too serious to allow him to focus on her amiable chitchat. 

Waiting until she had returned to the alcove of the kitchen, Jack looked up at Utonium. The man caught his gaze and smiled hospitably back.   
"Anything the matter?"   
"I sense dark days ahead." 

Utonium's smile slowly faded. He sat down, joining Jack on the sofa.   
"I… at this time I can't be completely sure why Aku is making his presence known in Townsville, but it is clear to me that your girls are in danger."   
The scientist grinned and shook his head. "Oh, they've taken on creatures like this Aku fellow before. With a little tuition from a warrior such as yourself, he should be no trouble."   
Jack sighed, unaffected by his descendant's confidence.   
"If only it were that simple. You underestimate his power and his motive. He is not merely some dumb beast relying on brute force and magic tricks to randomly destroy. He is connected to some of the darkest life forces in the universe."   
A pause, and the enormity of the samurai's words sank in.   
"It takes a very particular kind of strength to defeat, let alone challenge Aku. I only hope he doesn't try to prey on your children again. Powerful as they are, they wouldn't stand a chance." 

Blossom stood silent by the kitchen door, stunned. A part of her was seized with trepidation and worry. All her life she had been confident in the knowledge that she could overcome any rival that stood in her path. There were times when she was so wrapped up in her powers she almost felt omnipotent. But… this new foe, was it true that he was that strong? Even more so than Him? That she wouldn't stand a chance? She recalled the terrible fear that stung her heart that morning when she had been enveloped in Aku's darkness.   
Fear… 

"Break out the chow, Daddy-o, I'm starving!"   
Buttercup and Bubbles bounded back out into the family room, freshly scrubbed and disinfected. Blossom joined them, and assisted a limping Jack over to the table. 

After assuring everyone was comfortably seated, Utonium portioned out generous bowls full of freshly steaming pasta.   
Jack watched, fascinated as the girls greedily ladled piles of meat sauce and shredded cheese onto their meal. He looked down at his own bowl… such odd noodles, these were. He shrugged, and gratefully tucked into the exotic dish. 

"Professor, do we have fresh parsley?"   
"Pass the meatballs, please."   
"Can I have some more milk?"   
All of a sudden, the buzz of dinnertime chatter was drowned out by a deafening sucking sound. In silent surprise, everyone looked at Jack.   
Using two butter knives as makeshift chopsticks, he was slowly downing his ungarnished spaghetti with excruciatingly loud slurps. 

Feeling the family's eyes upon him, Jack looked up from his food. After an awkward moment, Buttercup stifled a snicker.   
"What are you doing?" Bubbles asked innocently, her voice free of any disdain.   
"Am I doing something offensive?" Jack asked civilly.   
Utonium chuckled. "It's quite alright, Jack."   
He turned to the girls. "In Japan, it's considered good manners to eat noisily. It shows the cook you're enjoying the meal."   
Buttercup's face lit up. She instantly started wolfing down her spaghetti again, zealously sucking up each strand with an awesome discord of gastronomical relish.   
"Buttercup…" Utonium berated, causing the girl to fall silent and grin sheepishly through a mouthful of half-chewed pasta.   
"You call that slurping? Let me show you how it's done." he smirked. 

To his children's delight, Utonium swirled an impossibly large amount of pasta onto his fork, shoved the top end in his mouth and vacuumed it up with the impetuosity of someone a fraction of his age.   
Jack and the girls giggled with delight at this performance and soon followed suit, returning to what proved to be from then on a very noisy meal. 

* * *

As she settled down in bed for the night, Blossom reflected that this visit from the past would not be all smiles and sunshine. Perhaps with Jack around, Aku would defer from attacking the city. But his current handicap certainly didn't help things, and even with his knowledge and experience to aid the dispelling of their rival, their efforts would probably all be in vain.   
She feared for the future, she feared for Townsville, she feared for her family…  
But soon, she slept. 

* * *

It was still dark when she awoke. Blossom looked over to the clock, expecting it to be almost sunrise… the digital readout said 11.59 PM.   
Just one minute before the Witching Hours began.   
Suddenly she felt very cold, like a sharp iciness was seeping into the air. Shivering, she lay back down again and pulled the blankets tightly over herself, listening to the silence of the darkened house.   
It was no good, she couldn't sleep.   
Without warning, a small, fleeting shadow appeared in the corner of her eye and hovered in the centre of the room. Blossom was not the kind of child who was affected by bumps in the night—she casually shrugged it off and once again snuggled up under the blankets. 

Gradually, the quiet of the house dissipated as a familiar wind began whispering in her ear, getting increasingly louder by the second.   
She bolted upright. The unassuming shadow was now slowly spiralling on itself, growing larger and larger.   
"Girls…" Blossom whimpered, stupefied.   
The black mass imploded, raining sparks of white and red witchcraft around the room. Bubbles and Buttercup woke, gaping with panic upon seeing this display of dark energy.   
Suddenly an enormous disembodied claw grew from out of the spiralling shadow. The three little girls screamed, overcome with fright. 

The claw lunged forward at Bubbles, picking her up in its talons. Buttercup didn't hesitate in a delivering a counterattack—she sought to simply hack the demonic hand right off its arm, but it was unaffected by the girl's usually debilitating blows.   
"Aku." Blossom realised. 

"Girls!" Utonium hollered from the doorway, he and Jack having been awoken by their shrieks. They paled in horror as they watched Buttercup continue to struggle with the ghastly claw. The crippled samurai regrettably could do nothing to help. It knocked Buttercup to the ground, and a tentacle reached out from the shadow's epicentre, managing to snare her as well.   
Blossom, swift on her feet, succeeded to dodge all attempts on the spectre's part to capture her. But she spent so much time evading it that she was clueless on how to overcome it, much less free her sisters.   
"Strike the centre!" Jack cried.   
Blossom nodded, and quickly focused her eye lasers on the middle of the spiralling shadow.   
She struck, and the whole mass writhed in pain, dropping both girls to the floor. The two extremities fell to the ground, limp and weakened. 

"Oh, girls…" a relieved Utonium dashed into the room and took Bubbles and Buttercup in a tight embrace. Jack remained in the doorway, his face sullen. Blossom now noticed that he was propped up on a walking cane.   
He shook his head. "Now I see exactly what he is after."   
The Utoniums turned to him.   
"Aku is an acquisitive and power hungry creature. He has realised that you girls are the only obstacle in the way of him taking control of this land. He will stop at nothing to destroy you."   
Bubbles whimpered and clutched her father's pyjama top tight. Seeing this, Jack's dour expression turned to a slightly more vigilant and optimistic smile.   
"But don't worry. I promise to do all that I can to protect you."   
The others exchanged glances.   
"But…" Utonium began.   
"…Your leg." Buttercup finished. 

Behind Blossom, the inactive claw began to tremble slightly.   
"Yeah." She agreed, lost in a moment of triumphant pride. "Besides, didn't you see how I managed to beat him off just then? Maybe he's not as strong as we thought…" Before anyone realised what was happening, the claw rose into the air with renewed life. In an instant it snatched up the unsuspecting Blossom, evaporated back into the spiralling shadow and dissolved into nothingness.   
"BLOSSOM!" Bubbles exclaimed.   
But it was too late. 

* * *

Soulless.   
This place was soulless.   
A dank pit brimming with vile, unfeeling creatures, all single-mindedly dedicated to causing the mass human suffering that Aku so loved.   
Him hated it. 

He reclined upon a recess in the walls of Aku's lair, watching the other demons prepare an ornate stone altar for their master. Whenever the opportunity arose, Aku would take as much pleasure in killing as possible. All his court would watch him perform the gory, callous deed, then would whip themselves into a fanatic worship of bloodlust that could sometimes last for days. Him always sat out of this, claiming that he needed to conserve his energy for his attempts to defeat the girls. 

He closed his eyes, slumping himself over his knees. So now the girls were to suffer this agony too. The overwhelming sense of uselessness and helplessness he had been feeling washed over him again.   
He had failed in his duty. 

Aku emerged, and the demons clamoured and cheered. In his claw, he held not the three girls, but only Blossom.   
"This one is the leader," he announced. "I believe she will do for now."   
He placed the quivering child upon the altar. Him could not help but notice the look of sheer terror in her eyes—the same haunting look held by all who had been sacrificed before her.   
Usually anyone who opposed Aku was a steely and battle-hardened warrior who was fully aware of the magnitude of his wrath. This was the first time that such an innocent, untainted creature had had to bear the full force of his terrible brunt. She was already bawling and screaming like a traumatised toddler, her fear only further exciting the minions. Her little doll-like features were contorted into those of one thoroughly damned. 

Him turned away, unable to look anymore. He now wished he had killed the girls earlier—a quick and painless demise of his own doing was sheer mercy compared to what Blossom was about to go through.   
She didn't deserve it. 

Aku grinned maliciously at the girl.   
"You have caused me anguish for the last time!" he rumbled.   
The sorcerer lifted his claw, and the unholy audience fell silent in anticipation… 

A streak of pink smoke swooped down to the altar, stealing Blossom away from Aku's assault.   
Astonishment. "What is this?"   
The crowd of demons looked up. Floating above, Him clutched the young child in his arms protectively, the very model of defiance.   
"You're not touching her!" he cried. 

"Treachery!…" Aku gasped.   
It was so obvious now. Why hadn't he seen this coming before?   
"I should have known." he scowled. 

He turned to his demons, who were also gawking at Him.   
"Well, what are you waiting for?" he roared, pointing to the lithe, dark skinned imp. "Seize him!"   
Him blinked, and even before the minions could launch their attack, they changed trajectories and turned on their own master. 

As Aku was swamped by his cronies, Him grinned impertinently back. "Remember? You gave me the power to manipulate all life-forms to obey my every whim." He mimicked.   
From amongst the fray Aku howled with rage. He narrowed his eyes, and shot a piercing shard of light from them just before Him conjured up a portal to escape. It grazed the demon's arm, producing a painful bloody gash.   
As Him's excruciated scream reached his ears, Aku smirked. 

* * *

The family room was drowned in silence, save for the clock ticking softly away on the wall. The first rays of sunlight were starting to slowly chase away the gloom of night, but this went completely unnoticed by Utonium.   
He sat on the edge of the sofa, his face buried in his hands. He had been unerringly quiet since Blossom disappeared. His tears of grief and worry had not been racked with loud, soul-shaking sobs as they had been with his other two daughters. In their presence he felt it was his duty to be a figure of strength and solace.   
Jack's explanation of Aku's methods of punishment hadn't helped any— there was only a very slight chance that Blossom was still alive, and if so, she would most definitely be undergoing intense physical and spiritual torture. 

A scuffling, stumbling noise awoke Utonium from his mournful lull. He looked up, and his heart jumped when he saw what was standing in front of him.   
"She needs you right now," Him said in a strained voice, handing a sobbing but unharmed Blossom to Utonium.   
He stared at the demon.   
"How—"  
"It's a long story." Him answered simply, turning away. 

Hearing Blossom's crying, Jack and the girls came out to the family room. When Buttercup's eyes fell on Him, she flared up with animosity.   
She roared and socked him square in the nose. He fell to the floor, too weary to even squirm.   
She hovered over him, fists planted firmly on hips.   
"I should have known you were teamed up with a guy like Aku!" she spat. "How did—"  
"Wait!" Jack commanded. "While this creature indeed looks like a servant of Aku, we do not even know what part he plays in this yet. It would be wise to hear him out."   
The samurai hobbled over to the two. He addressed Him.   
"What are you doing here?"   
"He rescued me," Blossom said in a small voice, still bundled up in Utonium's arms.   
A collective "What?" rose up from the others.   
"Aku was going to kill me and Him rescued me." Blossom reiterated.   
All eyes fell on the demon. 

"What's going on here?" Buttercup demanded.   
Him sighed.   
"I… perhaps it would be better if I just left." he proposed, his gaze cast down at the floor.   
"Answer me!" Buttercup insisted.   
An ambivalent look passed over Him's face before he resigned to her integrity.   
"Alright. I guess it was foolish of me to think that I could keep the truth from you forever." 

* * *

Jack and the Utoniums crowded in, standing around the dark creature in a semicircle, expectant. Him kneeled on the floor reservedly, his eyes still avoiding meeting theirs as he told his story. 

He breathed deeply, and searched for the right words to begin with. 

"It didn't take long for word of you girls to reach the lair of Aku. He's a puppet of evil, and is ruled by the impulse to do away with any defence humanity has against it. He decided to create a new demon to destroy the three of you. Having a minion get his grunt work out of the way, Townsville would be ripe for the picking.   
"Usually, Aku would create his servants by plucking evil energies from the universe and weaving them together with his magic, creating foul, horrid disciples who could barely think for themselves. But Aku now desired more than just a worker. He wished to have a plaything, a courtesan to appease his lustful side. He had grown tired of his harem full of demonic and hideous concubines. He wished for a creature of pure beauty to amuse him.   
"But creating two new minions of such particular natures would drain too much of his power. He decided to meld them into one. He searched the Earth for spiritual energy that epitomised human beauty, both male and female. Once he had acquired enough of this… he created me."   
Glances flitted about the circle.   
"He set me loose on Townsville, instructing me pointedly to do away with you girls."   
The tone in Him's voice suddenly changed to something the girls had never heard from him before.   
"But because of what my life force is made up of, I have a human soul."   
He paused, strong emotions starting to trickle into his words. 

"I… I just couldn't find it in my heart to slaughter three innocent children. So instead I managed to avoid killing you by merely testing your mental and physical capacities. This way I could give the pretence of trying to exterminate you while not doing you any real harm. I spent all my time watching over you, making sure you were protected from Aku's forces." 

Him had finished his explanation, but for a long while not a word was uttered by anyone. 

Finally, Blossom spoke.   
"You… so this is all true?" she asked warily.   
Him nodded slowly.   
"Liar!" Buttercup protested. As Him had guessed, she was trying to shake off the enormity of what he had told her by clinging to distrust. "It's probably just a trick to get us kidnapped by Aku!"   
"Buttercup," Utonium warned, and her mouth snapped shut.   
"So what now?" Jack asked.   
"He grew impatient with me and is now trying to kill you himself. I couldn't let that happen… even if it meant betraying my own creator. So I brought Blossom back here." 

Jack reflected on all that Him had said. If it was true, then he would be a powerful ally in the samurai's quest against Aku, especially with his injury preventing him from simply striking Aku down the next time he appeared…  
"I think you should let Him stay here with us."   
"What!?" Buttercup shouted. "Are you crazy?"   
Another look from Utonium, and she fell silent.   
"Agreed," the scientist said. "The more force we have against this brute, the better. Don't you think?"   
Blossom cringed, trying to find an appropriate answer. "I guess," she wavered, still not completely convinced of Him's story.   
A slight dolefulness tinted Him's expression at her noncommittal reply. "I promise I won't go back on my word." he contended softly. 

"Alright, fine." Buttercup groaned. "But don't expect me to come running to anyone's rescue when he betrays us all." She turned and floated towards the kitchen. "I'm getting breakfast."   
The others decided that that was a good idea and went to join her. 

As Utonium ushered Blossom and Bubbles along with him into the kitchen, he heard a distressed groan emanate from behind him.   
He turned to see Him, sinking lower in his kneeling position on the floor. He was clutching his arm and looked to be in considerable pain.   
Then he noticed a deep cut on Him's forearm—fresh from combating Aku, Utonium guessed. The poor creature. The most poignant part about it was that he had been hiding the injury from everyone, like it wasn't worth fussing over at all. 

"Hey…"  
Him looked up, only to find himself staring into a pair of soft, sky blue eyes.   
Utonium knelt over Him, holding out his hand, a sweet considerate smile adorning his features.   
"Come here," he said gently.   
Him allowed himself to be hauled up off the floor. Utonium steadied him by putting an arm around his shoulder.  
"We'd better take care of those injuries, huh?" he proffered, and started to escort the wounded demon in the direction of his lab. 

Compassion. For the first time in his life.   
A small but grateful smile came to Him's lips. 

* * *

The school bell rang, and a stampede of little feet scurried towards the front door of Pokey Oaks kindergarten. After packing up their stationery and wishing Ms. Keane a good afternoon, the Powerpuff Girls joined in the excited scramble.   
The entire day had been one long hardship. With the recent events, none of the trio could keep focused on their schoolwork. Bubbles was anxious to get home to the two exciting house guests waiting there to stimulate and entertain her (even if it was just for novelty's sake), Buttercup was anxious to devise a way to combat Aku with the others, and Blossom… was simply anxious. 

"Hey…" Buttercup said as they made their way home, "you okay? After last night, I mean?"   
The little tomboy had a look of unabashed concern on her face, something that was not seen very often. Blossom smiled at her sister, but her gaze was distant.   
"It was scary…" she replied airily. She was quiet for a few seconds, her pensive eyes still wafting on the horizon. Then promptly, she snapped out of it.   
"I'll be fine."   
Buttercup could see that she was still troubled. Instead of opting to spout out some mushy sympathetic drivel about 'watching her back' (or other such nonsense), she silently placed a gentle hand on her own.   
Blossom's smile grew larger. 

The remainder of the afternoon was a welcome change to the harrowing events of the previous day. The family had ample time to relax and acclimatise themselves to the new situation. They listened intently to further tales of Jack's heroic exploits, and in turn the samurai watched the girls re-enact some of their own battles against Townsville's criminal populace. 

Him, however, had distanced himself from the group. The majority of the day he had spent brooding in the family room, avoiding both Utonium and Jack and feeling seriously out of place.   
As the girls put on their dramatic portrayals of past combat, he was perched upon a bureau in a dark corner of the room. When Utonium turned to look at Him, however, he saw the demon delighting in the Puffs' clumsy, boastful exhibition. A claw supporting his cheek, an absent smile upon his lips… and a soft look in his eyes that could easily have passed as endearment for the three children.   
He caught Utonium's gaze and reacted. His happy expression was quickly wiped away by one of apparent guilt, like a pet dog caught too close to a nest of chicks. He turned away, trying to look nonchalant. 

In the end it was Buttercup who brought up the topic of Aku again. The six were seated around the television after a lively, messy smorgasbord dinner (Him, of course, still sitting in his dark corner on the bureau).   
The moment she saw the commercials begin, Buttercup grabbed the remote from Utonium and muted the sound.   
"When are you going to go beat Aku?" She blurted out, looking expectantly at Jack.   
He sighed. "I'm afraid there is nothing we can do for the moment."   
All eyes turned to him.   
"We have reached a stalemate. Given the current situation, it is unlikely that Aku will attack again. But in this condition I cannot possibly fight him."   
"Why is he so scared of you, anyway?" Buttercup inquired. 

Jack got up on his cane and made his way over to a cabinet by the wall. He opened it, and produced his sheathed katana from within. He drew it out of the scabbard and held it up to show the others. Sharp and smooth, it reflected the dim lamplight in a shimmer of white and silver, almost looking as if it were glowing with some inner luminescence.   
"This sword was forged by an enchanted order of Bhuddist monks for the sole purpose of defeating Aku. As long it is wielded by one of Imagawa blood, it is the one single weapon with the ability to slay Aku. It is why he has run from me ever since our first meeting."   
"Imagawa blood?" Buttercup repeated. "Then the Professor could beat Aku!"   
Utonium shook his head. "It's a nice idea, sweetie, but I'm afraid I wouldn't know the first thing about swordplay."   
"Oh…"  
He put the sword away and shut the cabinet. "Aku's demise is a task only I can perform." 

Utonium responded to this in a cogitative manner.  
"And what if he tries to attack before that?" He asked thoughtfully, looking over at the girls.   
"That's where Him comes in," Jack replied.   
The demon looked up at the others.   
"He is a hardy and clever creature who knows Aku's tactics. Though he doesn't have the capability to actually kill the sorcerer, I am sure he can ward off any assault he may deal to the girls. He would make a far better guardian for them than myself." 

Buttercup moved to object, but Blossom held her back.   
"Do you think you could take on the responsibility?" Jack asked.   
Him grimaced. "I've been protecting the girls from Aku my whole life. Why d'you think I would stop now?"   
"Perfect." Jack grinned, satisfied. 

"So that's it?" Buttercup barked. "We're all just going to sit around on our butts and hope that Aku doesn't try to kill us?"   
"It's all we _can_ do." Utonium informed her in a soothing voice. "Until Jack recovers, anyway."   
The brunette huffed, making an effort to accept the circumstances.   
"In the meantime," he continued, "we should all rest up and conserve our energy."   
He tapped on his wristwatch. "It's way past bedtime." 

Complying, Blossom and Bubbles zipped out of the room as Utonium helped Jack up the staircase.   
Before she joined her sisters, a resentful Buttercup turned to Him.   
"Jack might trust you, but _I_ know better than that."   
He stared back at her, and she pursed her lips. "You better keep away from my sisters. The last thing we need now is another one of your _tricks_ ruining everything."   
She turned to leave. Before heading off, she looked back at him once more.   
"You're nothing but a bad guy to me." 

The undisguised spite in her words cut through Him like a finely sharpened blade. Plaintive pangs of sadness tugged at him as he watched her go. Even after all this, he still couldn't earn the trust of his little charges. 

* * *

Utonium planted a loving, child-sized kiss upon each of his daughters' foreheads before tucking in their blankets and switching off the light.   
"Goodnight, my angels."   
Just before he slipped back out into the hall, Bubbles' tiny voice stopped him in his tracks.   
"Daddy?"   
He turned, and could instantly see she was distressed. She was sitting straight up in the dark, clutching her Octi doll desperately tight.   
"Bubbles, what's the matter?" he whispered, now back at her bedside.   
"I'm scared," she whimpered. "I don't want Aku to come back." 

"Oh… oh, honey."   
Utonium's heart surged with tender affection. This strange new opposition had so unnerved his girls that they felt completely defenceless. While he could understand that Aku _was_ a considerable threat, it was curious to see the same heroine who had tackled and triumphed over some of the city's worst felons quivering like a little bird who had forgotten her ability to fly. Still Utonium was used to these irrational bouts of dismay, especially from Bubbles. Regardless of their Herculean abilites, they were still just children: naive and unheeding.  
He took her up in his arms, cradling her maternally.   
"Don't you worry." He responded in a clear, marked tone. "We'll defeat that nasty old Aku eventually. And even if worst comes to worst, you and your sisters have Him to watch your back."   
"Him…" Bubbles repeated, and cringed. "Buttercup said that he was lying about wanting to help us."   
"Oh, your sister's just very suspicious. She just wants to be completely sure that the three of you are safe."   
Bubbles looked up at him in anticipation.   
"Are we?"   
"Of course." Utonium said with a smile. "Now back into bed."   
He tucked Bubbles in once again, gave her another kiss goodnight and tiptoed out of the room. 

* * *

In a matter of minutes, the busy house had settled into a soundless slumber. Utonium carried out his solo ritual of locking each window and turning off each lamp, basking in the tranquil solitude.   
He came back out to the family room, noticing that he was not alone. Him remained, slouched on the sofa, absorbed in his _own_ brand of solitude. But this one, unlike Utonium's, was a melancholy. His face was obscured by a tired claw, but from body language alone Utonium could read a poetry of loneliness.   
Him's awkwardness since arriving had not gone unnoticed by the scientist. Jack regarded him with an efficient, detached air, and the girls had been avoiding him altogether (save for Buttercup's venomous scorning). Yet this was the creature whom Utonium was entrusting his children's very lives to. He owed Him a great deal. 

"You'll need a place to sleep," he stated, catching the demon's attention.   
Him shrugged. "The couch is fine."   
Utonium shook his head. "Nonsense. You're our guest. Besides, you look exhausted—you'll need a good night's rest."   
Him looked back at Utonium inquisitively.   
"I'll take the couch. I insist you sleep in my bed."   
A pause. His gaze remained on Utonium, a contrast of hesitation and eagerness in his eyes.   
"You mean it?"   
The man smiled benignly in response, motioning for Him to get up. 

* * *

"Are you sure I don't look ridiculous in this?"   
Him stood in the doorway of the bathroom, donned in one of Utonium's old T-shirts to sleep in. On his slender frame, it looked more like a baggy dress. Still, it was an interesting contrast to the impractically fancy attire he usually wore.   
Utonium set his toothbrush down and chuckled. "You look fine," he reassured, surmising that as a creature created for sensuality's sake, Him was probably fixated on his own appearance. 

Utonium ushered him down the hall.   
"One thing I wanted to ask…" he murmured. "Those claws you have…" he nodded to the large lobster-like appendages upon Him's wrists where two hands would have otherwise been.   
"Yeah?" Him beseeched.   
The two stopped by the doorway to Utonium's bedroom.   
"Well, they seem a little out of place. They look so monstrous. And the rest of you is so…"  
He gestured to Him, indicating his lovely, elegant form.   
"So…"  
Utonium trailed off, his eyes still absently fixed on Him's features.   
"Oh." The demon responded, a shy smile on his face.   
"These are thanks to Aku." He held up the claws. "My own personal chastity belt. I do have hands under here, but I only ever got to use them when he was 'favouring' me." Him scowled at the memory.   
"How horrible," Utonium remarked.   
Him shook his head. "That's not the least of it. If I ever try to touch anyone with these things out of affection, the scar they receive becomes blue. That way Aku would always know if there were any competitors for my attention to bump off." 

Him's narrative was interrupted as he was ensnared by the look in Utonium's eyes. Intent, moved, and even upset, a vivid sheen of concentrated emotion enhanced their already bright blue colour. This endearing expression of outright concern made Utonium look achingly beautiful. Him almost felt bad for affecting him so. 

"It's okay," he added quietly, "I've gotten quite used to them."   
Utonium nodded accordingly.   
He then opened the door to the bedroom, gesturing for Him to enter. "Make yourself at home," he told him.   
Him padded over to the awaiting bed, but turned back to Utonium before climbing in.   
"Thank you."   
Utonium beamed. "It's the least I could do."   
The two shared a silent moment of appreciation for one another.   
"Goodnight, Professor." 

He surreptitiously lingered in the doorway as Him drifted off to sleep. It was so hard to recall the antipathy he had felt for this enthralling being of beauty not two days ago. While the faith he had in his girls had seldom wavered, it was reassuring to know that they had always been blessed with such a loyal and tireless protector.  
Even if they didn't trust him. 

With a sad, resigning sigh, Utonium slowly closed the door and headed back down the hall. 


	2. Part 2

**ACT II **

A week passed. At first, the family remained tense and on their toes, ready for the moment that Aku would strike again. But after a few days and no disturbances, they concluded that the monster was lying in waiting. This dormancy allowed each of them the time to relax a little. 

All but Blossom. Since last addressing the dilemma, she had been sinking further and further into a withdrawn misery. Her family had assumed that it was merely uneasiness over the impending clash between Aku and a slowly recuperating Jack, but her sorrows ran deeper than that…  
There had been a couple of minor distress calls from the Mayor's office in the mean time. Every time the girls headed off on a mission Blossom couldn't help comparing her own so-called 'feats of bravery' to the ones Jack had performed in the past. 

He was a great warrior prince who travelled across time and space, freeing civilisations and releasing captives from the tyranny of one of evil's most foul and spiteful advocates. His deeds were timeless and legendary, surviving even to the present day in the form of folk tales.   
She… well… when it came down to it, she was little more than the Mayor's personal attack dog. While Townsville had its share of monster invasions and misdemeanours, all the crime the girls combated could have easily been subdued by a competent police and defence force. And archvillains like Mojo Jojo? In that case the girls were causing more trouble than they were preventing. If it were up to Jack, Mojo would have been either vanquished or redeemed long ago, instead of being stuck in the vicious cycle of attack, arrest and escape that the girls perpetuated with him.   
And when it came to true evil such as Aku, Blossom and her sisters were defenceless. 

Jack had a solid foundation, a regal lineage and a great ambition upon which to build his destiny.   
As far as Blossom was concerned, her own role as a protector of mankind was just the same as her birth—artificial and without any true legacy.   
She was no hero. 

Shrouded in the elongated shadows of a muggy late afternoon, Blossom was joylessly participating in a jump-rope game with her sisters in the yard. As Bubbles and Buttercup bounded and giggled, she herself stood silent and downcast, lethargically twirling the end of the rope and staring off into space. It was sad irony that the two people she was more closely connected with than anyone else were completely unheeding of her mood.   
But there was one person who did notice her. Reclining at a bay window in the family room, Him gazed upon her with his dainty eyebrows knotted in concern. 

* * *

"Anything the matter?" Utonium had been embedded in paperwork at the table, presently diverted from the task by Him's pensive state.   
He frowned, turning his attention to the man. "I'm just worried about Blossom."   
Utonium smiled. "I think she's just a little shaken by everything that's happened. She'll be alright."   
Him's expression remained unchanged. "I still think you should talk to her tonight." 

Utonium nodded and returned to his paperwork. But after a heartbeat or two, his vision wandered back up to the beautiful willowy demon. He was watching the girls in the yard again, completely engrossed. Sombre, rapt and firmly protective… 

"You love them, don't you?" He stated matter-of-factly.   
Him looked back at Utonium.   
"I… I suppose it's a given," he conceded with an imperturbable voice.   
That serene exterior just killed Utonium. Why did Him always feel obliged to mask his emotions so? 

The man sighed. It took him barely a moment to answer that question himself. 

"Look… I'm sorry about the girls. It's just taking them a while to open up to you. Try and take into account your history together. You just need to allow them the time to understand the idea of tough love."   
Silence.   
Utonium persisted. Abandoning his paperwork, he crossed the room and sat down next to Him, openly poised and smiling.   
"I'm sure that deep down they appreciate what you're doing for them. We all do." 

Finally, the demon reacted. Large green eyes pierced the scientist's own, blazing with frustration and confusion.   
Utonium was slightly taken aback. "Are you okay?"   
"Why… why do you have to be so…" Him choked, frantically trying to channel his muddled feelings into a fitting reply.   
It was to no avail. "You just don't get it, do you?" he grunted angrily, stormily getting up and turning his back on his host.   
"What—"  
"I don't need your pity!" Him growled. 

Utonium shook his head. What dark, hidden neurosis had this sudden eruption sprung from?   
"Him…" he approached the imp.   
He breathed in deeply, slowly turning his head to glare at Utonium from under a wayward lock of raven hair.   
"Just stop trying to take me under your wing and make me a part of your little 'family'. I'm not like you."   
He paused.   
"I'm a demon. A monster born to aid destruction and terror. And no matter what I do, who I side with, nothing can change that. You have no idea what kind of terrible evil I'm spawned from."   
The heaviness in the air was practically visible. Those eyes that had been boring into Utonium suddenly fell, long lashes masking their brightness.   
"I can't become a part of your lives. It just wouldn't be right. From now I should just start watching over the girls the way I always have. Alone in limbo." 

He turned away again. The words Him had just uttered were perfectly juxtaposed to the doleful person that stood before Utonium. It angered him to think that someone who displayed such honest and heartfelt emotion could so foolishly deny his own humanity.   
"Oh, for god's sake!" He cried.   
Losing his patience, he whirled Him around, clasping strong hands on his shoulders. "Would you stop with all this desperado crap!?"   
That struck through Him like a dagger. He shrank back, emptied of his defences. When he looked up at Utonium again it was fear that tinged his expression. 

The man was stunned. At this moment, Him looked so heart-rendingly timid… on a face where he had once seen a enigmatic, predatory grin was the very model of vulnerability. 

He slackened, his gaze still adhered to the imp. He saw for the first time the creature's true colours: an abused, unloved fallen angel, unsure of his own worth and scared by a world that had only shown him cruelty. It took every fibre of self-restraint Utonium had not to clutch the poor foundling to his breast and shield him from all the heartless fiends who had violated his innocence.   
And yet… there was still a spark of tenacity there in his spirit, a hunger to survive and to resist. 

"Look." Utonium said, his tone firm and calm "You said yourself you have a human soul. One made of human beauty. And no matter what kind of psychopathic barbarian created you, nothing can change that. Aku could have easily moulded you into some kind of remorseless supernatural hitman, or at the very least he could have broken your will and made you a miserable little slave. But just look at you."   
Utonium smoothed the back of his hand over Him's high forehead, clearing the hair from his eyes.   
"You've single-handedly managed to prevent the wrath of an immense evil from destroying our little city. And you've ensured the safety of my girls. There's something in you that's more divine and noble than even a _human_ soul. You're no monster..." 

He abandoned his train of thought, losing himself again in those ever-entrancing jade eyes. Up close he could now see they resembled a cat's. A wild, mysterious animal who had been persecuted as a servant of Satan in days gone by, but was presently adored by mankind as a magnificent and extraordinary creature…  
A pool of tears welled up in them. Him tried to speak.   
"I…"  
Utonium smiled tenderly, and brushed the tear off the top of his cheek with a slow hand.   
"You're beautiful." He finished, his voice no louder than the slightest whisper. The hand that remained on Him's shoulder gingerly slithered down to his waist, and pulled the demon closer into him.   
Ever so slowly, he reached down until his lips were touching Him's own. 

That was all it took for the usually calm and collected man to completely lose touch with reality. As Him eased into the kiss, he draped his arms over Utonium's broad shoulders and pressed his body gently up against him. 

Neither of them could think. The warmth, the softness, the sweet heavenly contact that the two parties had been aching for for so long… Him uttered a quiet whimper as Utonium's fingers skimmed across the back of his neck, but it did nothing to interrupt the perfect insensibility. 

Eventually, Utonium broke off the kiss. Thoroughly drunk on each other, the two stared dumbly into one another's eyes for a few long, idle moments.   
"I… I… I…" The man gushed.   
Without warning, Him felt the Utonium's body tense. He tried to pull out of the embrace.   
"I... I'm so sorry, I should've—"  
Him held onto him, not once breaking eye contact. "No… please." He smiled sweetly up at Utonium, pleading with him not to spoil what was easily the most exquisite moment of his young life. The feel of soft warm hands lighting gently upon his skin was like nothing he had ever known before. Utonium was so kind, so nurturing… 

Bashfully, Him rested his head against Utonium's chest. He closed his eyes, taking in his crisp clean scent and the pure white cloth smoothed against his cheek. Almost shuddering with delight, Utonium pulled him closer still, completely enfolding the delicate pixie in his arms. 

* * *

A sweet pink dreamscape…  
…Destroyed.   
A loud, black explosion rocked the horizon. All living things cried out in agony before turning to stone  
And a serpent was heard laughing. 

Blossom bolted upright in bed, panting madly.   
As she regained her wits, she noticed icy rivulets of sweat trickling down her forehead. With a trembling hand, she wiped them off.   
Oh God. 

In the silent bedroom, the girl let out an entirely audible cry. She was afraid to the point of total exasperation. Aku was taunting her, teasing her. Wheedling his way into her poor head, haunting her dreams and tainting her day-to-day thoughts with dread and self doubt.   
But wait. She wasn't even in his line of sight anymore. As far as she knew, all Aku wanted to do was get Jack and Him out of the picture so he could level the city. Why would he be wasting his time with a civilian like her? 

She struggled out of bed, and shuffled over the carpet to the window. Maybe her nightmare hadn't been the work of Aku.   
Maybe it was a premonition of things to come…  
Blossom stared out over Townsville's skyline. A barren, smoky moon hung in the sky, and below it the darkened skyscrapers cast thick black silouhettes against the night. It was kind of eerie to live in a town that slept. In other cities her family had visited there was always some sign of life, light and movement, even in the dead of the night. Not so for Townsville. For a few long hours every evening, the entire metropolis would be drained of all its activity.   
It was almost… a death.   
Or at least a state in which to welcome death.   
Blossom found it funny that a city so beleaguered by supervillains and monsters could let its guard down like this on a daily basis. 

Impassively, she watched over the sleeping buildings, the shock from her terrible dream still pulsing in her ears. That eerie atmosphere from the first day Aku appeared was making an unwelcome comeback. 

"I know you're out there," Blossom stated quietly. 

* * *

Too troubled to return to sleep, the lone child headed down to the kitchen, hoping that a midnight snack (and perhaps a few tape-recorded episodes of 'Blarney the Singing Sea Serpent') would help to calm her nerves. 

As she floated through the empty family room, a minuscule yet gleaming light caught the corner of Blossom's eye. It was like a tiny little pinprick of brightness in an otherwise dark sky… curious, she turned to see where it was coming from. It was radiating from within a cabinet with its door slightly ajar.   
She discreetly pushed the door open the rest of the way and groped around in the blackness until she felt a narrow, slender object.   
It was Jack's sword.   
The thin sliver of metal that peeked through between the sheath and the handle had been what was glinting out at Blossom.   
Unable to contain her curiosity, she removed the sheath the rest of the way.   
She gasped at what she saw then. 

The blade was an undefiled, perfect hue of silvery-white. It shone like a star in the gloom, somehow managing to reflect the scant streaks of moonlight that wafted in through the windows with a brilliant lustre.   
Blossom was spellbound. This was indeed an enchanted weapon. 

"Can't you sleep?" Asked a soft voice behind her.   
She turned to see Jack in the doorway, leaning on his cane. The little girl froze like a cat next to an empty birdcage.   
"I didn't mean to—"  
Jack smiled. "It's all right, Blossom. I know I can trust you to handle that properly." 

She relaxed, and focused on the sword again, fingering the golden ornamentation on its handle.   
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" The samurai remarked.   
Blossom held it up, once again examining its dazzling blade. "It's so shiny…"  
"It was forged in a sacred holy flame. It can expel any evil spirits that dare to take control of it."   
He fell silent for a brief interval, before adding:   
"It has proved to be a faithful beacon for me in times of great need. It has always led me in the right direction." 

For a few moments, the two gazed up at the blade, engrossed in its quiet, radiant splendour. Blossom now noticed that it gave off a very subtle sphere of light—one that encompassed both Jack and herself, separating them from the dim that swallowed the rest of the room. 

* * *

Ten minutes later, Jack and Blossom were sitting together at the kitchen bench, each making short work of a peanut butter sandwich.   
In true childlike fashion, Blossom took a ludicrously huge bite out of the bread. She looked up at Jack, her crumb coated cheeks bulging like those of a squirrel storing nuts as she attempted to chew.   
Jack tried to stifle a chuckle, thoroughly amused by the adorable display. Having the chance to spend time with children was a rare gift that he wholeheartedly relished.   
"And to think of all those times when I had to eat alone!" Jack mused.   
"Huh?" Blossom queried through her mouthful.   
He smiled reassuringly at the girl. "Never mind." 

Jack looked down at his wounded leg. He reflected on what a drastic change in lifestyle that it had laid upon him. The time he had spent with his descendant's family had been more reminiscent of activities during his childhood than anything else. He couldn't recall the last time he had felt this calm and docile. 

"Do you know what a ronin is?" He asked Blossom.   
She nodded. "I read about them in the Professor's history books. They were samurai who had lost their commanding Daimyo and roamed the country alone. But they still remained loyal to their old masters and their cause." She gazed at Jack thoughtfully. "Is that what you are?"   
Jack bowed his head solemnly. "It is a lifestyle I have led for many many years. The defeat of Aku was the quest of my father and his Empire, and now it is mine. The road to this destination has taken me places I never would have dreamed existed."   
Blossom beamed. "That's so awesome!" 

Jack shook his head, his expression remaining solemn. "It is a lonely and unstable existence. Where I come from, to lose your master is like losing your identity... the one thing that keeps me going is the possibility of regaining it."   
"Your identity?"   
"Yes. My parents, my people, our culture... and the kingdom I was meant to inherit." 

The two looked at each other meaningfully. The small child seemed to instinctively understand the worth and majesty of everything that the lone samurai prince was fighting for.   
He smiled at her again. "You know, little one, you and your own family are the closest I have come to seeing them again." 

Blossom replied with a small grin, but Jack could tell that her thoughts were now drifting elsewhere. He hoped his words hadn't affected her too much.   
"What's the matter?"   
She looked away, her eyes pallid and haunted. "I can't stop thinking about Aku. He's not like anything I've ever seen... it's scary..." 

He should have known that the poor child wouldn't be able to keep her spirits up for long. Perhaps if he tried to talk through her fear with her…   
"Did you know he was once human?"   
She looked up again.   
Jack continued. "My father and he were best friends in their youth. He was a kind Shinto priest who dedicated his life to studying the magical attributes of the kami. Jack's tone suddenly darkened. "Then one fateful day he took an offer to be schooled in the black arts."   
Her cherubic face scrunched up in confusion. "But I thought he was the head of all evil."   
"Nothing can control evil, Blossom. It has no humanity to make it susceptible. It is evil that controls living beings." 

Blossom nodded in comprehension. She had never thought of it like that before. Did that mean all the so-called bad guys and monsters she had fought in the past were just hapless puppets who were possessed by the same timeless darkness? This force must have been very powerful indeed.   
Peering over her shoulder, her attention rested on the kitchen door. The soft yellow lamplight petered out at its perimeter. The black that swamped the rest of the world lay in waiting, ready to take over the tiny cove of light once the lamp was switched off.   
She shivered.   
"Jack…" she whispered, "what if you never beat Aku?" 

In light of Utonium's absence, Jack put a comforting, fatherly arm around her shoulders.   
"If you really feel that troubled, I suggest you meditate. It will clear your mind of your confusion." 

* * *

The city remained silent. A mild breeze blew, gingerly rustling the tops of the pine trees at the rear of the Utonium backyard. Blossom sat in the middle of the soft green lawn, watching the sky turn from deep navy blue to a soft pastel indigo. The only thing to interrupt this perfect spotless canopy was the moon, noiselessly making its way down towards the horizon. 

The girl knew the basic concept of meditation, she had seen people do it in Buttercup's martial arts cartoons, but she had no idea what she was to achieve from it. Well, if it was going to provide her doubt-riddled brain with some peace, it was more than enough for her.   
She closed her eyes and began to breathe deeply… 

* * *

Wide and undulating, a sea of hills stretched out before her in her mind's eye. She breathed in the clear, moist air and took in the panorama. Mist wafted low in the hills' valleys and crevices, but over their peaks she could see for miles.   
A black cloud hung in the northern skies, one that seemed to stretch on forever. A high, howling gust of wind pushed it forth, and with increasing speed it drifted closer and closer.   
It cast shadows upon everything it touched.   
Blossom wanted desperately to escape from it, but her legs felt riveted to the spot, almost like two tree trunks with roots going deep into the earth.   
Suddenly she heard something roaring in the distance behind her. Turning slowly, she saw what it was… Approaching steadily from the edge of the horizon was an enormous torrent of water.   
She cried out in panic. Strong, rhythmic and even, it hit her. The fresh blast of cool liquid swirled in her long red mane and swam about her loose clothing, all the while the dark cloud in front gaining ground and momentum.   
The current began to lift the child off the ground like a paper bag tumbling helplessly in a gale. She struggled, limbs frantically flailing about under the water, until its force began firmly pushing her forward towards the dark cloud.   
Fearing the worst, she squeezed her eyes shut. 

When she opened them again, she was inhaling air. The water had somehow carried her up to its surface and steadied her position upon the tip of a wave. Now it was almost like laying upon solid ground. She tried standing… success. The roaring in her ears had decreased, and through the sound Blossom swore she could hear a very faint echo of human voices.   
She looked to the black cloud once again, it was almost on her. She lost no time. Surfing on the crest of the wave she readied herself for the impact. She raised her hand, and droplets of water followed her motion.   
As one they crashed upon the bank of dark cloud, the forceful collision causing Blossom to lose her balance and be thrown into the chaotic aftermath. Immersed and desperate, she scrambled for something to grab hold of.   
After a few long moments of groping, she reached out to feel long grass and damp spongy soil. The torrent had drained, leaving her safe on the familiar ground. She looked up urgently.   
The black cloud had vanished, washed away by Blossom's river. The land was now bathed in warm white sunlight. 

* * *

All she felt was the soft, cooling current of wind from before brushing gently against her face.   
Blossom opened her eyes to be dazzled by the first rays of red sunlight streaking across the yard. They warmed her as they reached over the lawn to where she was sitting.   
Sluggish and numb from her meditation, she reached up to touch her cheek where the breeze had murmured across her skin. 

* * *

"It was amazing," Blossom said through a mouthful of buttery flapjacks. "It was like the wave was connected to my body before we hit the black stuff, and then SMASH!" She bounced in her seat, causing the kitchen table to wobble and an intrigued Bubbles to flinch in shock.   
"Well, that little daydream has certainly given you your energy back." Him observed, cheerfully piling more fresh flapjacks onto her empty plate.   
Scowling, Buttercup growled "Careful with those, Blossom, he's probably poisoned 'em."   
Him's face fell, but his mood was quickly salvaged with a loving gaze from Utonium and a tender hand on his claw. Buttercup took one look at the two of them and stuck out her tongue in disapproval. 

"So, do you think meditating helped you clear your thoughts about Aku?" Jack asked intently.   
Blossom looked down at her plate reflectively.   
Finally, she answered. "I'm not really sure what the dream meant."   
"It sounds like your brain was telling you that it believes that Aku's gonna end up getting destroyed." Bubbles piped up.   
"But it can't be," Blossom replied. "Because I was having all of these nightmares, and I was really scared that he was going to return and everything… my brain wouldn't have believed that kind of a message."   
Jack sighed. "Instead of answering anything, it seems this vision has just posed even more questions."   
"Not quite." 

Utonium intervened, joining the others at the table with a cup of coffee.   
"I have a feeling that the dream was suggesting something about you yourself." He told Blossom.   
"Like what?"   
"Like you being strong enough to battle Aku." 

The room fell quiet. Everyone stared at Utonium.   
"But he almost killed her!" Him exclaimed.   
"Because she didn't know what to expect at that point," the man countered. "I'm not suggesting she take on Aku all by herself. After all, Jack is the one who wields the Imagawa sword. But something tells me that Blossom—and Bubbles and Buttercup—could very effectively aid his objective here in Townsville." 

Blossom was absolutely stunned. Was this the same over-protective parent who had banned her and her sisters from jumping in puddles for fear of catching cold? The one who, just to be on the safe side, had put child-proof latches on every single drawer in the house?   
Utonium fixed his child with a serious expression. "Do you think you're up to it?"   
She looked to her sisters. They nodded in approval.   
"I guess so."   
"Okay." He concurred. "We'll talk about it more after school." 

He ushered the girls out of the kitchen with their lunchboxes. Whipping on their backpacks, they promptly zipped out the front door.   
Before she left, Blossom treated her father to a warm hug.   
"Thanks for having faith in me."   
He smiled. "Any time, sweetheart." 

* * *

It was late at night, but Him wasn't really tired. He always had difficulty with adjusting to these regulated human sleeping hours when visiting Earth. In Aku's castle there was no day and night, its denizens would just repose in their chambers whenever they felt like it.   
He was lying next to a snoozing Utonium, trying hard to find a comfortable position. For a few uneasy minutes he fidgeted about in the dark, unable to rest. Suddenly he felt a strong hand plant itself heavily on his hip. Utonium moved it around to Him's back and pulled him into his embrace. Him smiled, and sighed in appreciation of feeling Utonium's body so close to his own.   
The scientist looked down at the darling little imp in his arms. His ethereal, boyish beauty was almost too much to take. His eyes were closed, offering a generous display of those gorgeous long lashes. Unable to resist the urge, he grazed a light finger down the side of his face. Him's mouth curled up a little at the contact. He buried his head in Utonium's neck, and the poor overwhelmed man simply melted. He had never thought for a second that anyone but his beloved daughters could earn the franchise of being thought of as his 'angel', but Him was becoming a mighty tempting contender.   
"…My angel… the demon." Utonium mumbled under his breath.   
"Huh?" Him lifted his head.   
The man chuckled. "Don't worry." He beseeched. After a pause, he added "I love you."   
"I love you too." Him sleepily murmured, lost in a lull. "Always have."   
Utonium's eyes snapped open. "What did you say?"   
The demon suddenly realised what he had unintentionally disclosed to his lover. He bit his lower lip, shifting his eyes pensively down. 

"Well… yeah. The way I feel about the girls… they're my whole world. My love for them was the one way I could escape from Aku, even if it was only in the boundaries of my own heart. And…"  
A brief shimmer of light sparkled across his eyes. "…then _you_ were there.   
"Even from the first moment I saw you I already knew what a loving soul you had—you just seemed to stand out from all the other petty little humans around you. Your heart was always so honest. Just like your daughters'."   
His gaze remained abashedly cast down. Utonium took hold of his chin and tilted the pixie's face up to his own.   
"Is that so?"   
Him returned his gaze to Utonium. His lustrous eyes were inscribed with a huge, unfathomable love—a love for Utonium, for the girls, for the mere knowledge of their existence. A love expressed by a creature not of the mortal realm. Ardent human emotion touched with divine spiritual force… it was almost frightening for the scientist to consider how deep Him's devotion to him ran. It was like looking at the sun: such a perfect, incomparable energy that was too strong for mankind to behold for too long.   
"I've loved you as long as I can remember." He whispered.   
Utonium was thunderstruck. 

Utterly overcome, he fell into a deep kiss with Him. He drew the creature as close as possible into him, inhaling the heavenly essence of his lover with every nerve in his body. Him slowly withdrew his mouth from Utonium's, following up with a fine trail of little kisses down his neck and shoulder. The man shivered, rapturous as Him's searing lips hit the hitherto unexplored skin.   
As he ravenously reached for the collar of Him's undershirt, the demon suddenly resisted.   
The man stopped. "You okay?" he panted.   
Him held up his scythe-like claws. "We… we shouldn't. I can't touch you."   
Utonium grinned. "But I can touch _you_," he purred, his usually light blue eyes growing dark and desirous. 

He slid his hands up Him's back, delighting in the silky youthful skin. Suddenly his fingers fell on long coarse scars on the sides of the imp's body, disturbing the otherwise beautiful texture. The work of Aku, Utonium realised. His heart sank as he thought about how much his beloved must have had to suffer for the sorcerer's selfish, degenerate pleasures.   
Protectively tightening his grip on him, Utonium leant his forehead upon Him's own and looked deep into his eyes.   
"Him."   
"Mm?"   
"When this is all over… I want you to remain in my care. You're just as much a part of our family as the girls are."   
The joy emblazoned on Him's lovely face was unmistakable. To be accepted and cherished by those he had pined for from afar for so long… his spirit brimmed with happiness and unashamed passion for the wonderful, wonderful man who held him in his arms. That open, forgiving, adoring look he was giving Him was simply euphoric. Utonium was too beautiful. Him just couldn't resist touching that elegant sculpted face, feeling that skin slide underneath his fingers… 

Utonium yelped in pain as Him's claw made its way down his cheek. He put a finger up to the wound… a thick trail of blood was oozing down his face.   
"Jesus!" He dashed into the bathroom. 

Once he had dressed the injury, he came back out to find Him sitting on the edge of the bed, slumped over, face in his claws.   
"Oh… C'mere."   
He sat down next to the demon and snugly wrapped his arms around him.   
"I'm so sorry." Him whimpered softly.   
Utonium firmly laid a kiss on his forehead. "It's okay. Really."   
He drew Him's face up to meet his own and caressed the back of the demon's neck with his free hand. Reaching down to meet his lips, he drowned the two of them in another slow drowsy kiss. 

* * *

Shrieks and reptilian snarls resounded through the lower chambers of Aku's castle in irregular cycles. Up in his lair, he watched minions skitter randomly through the cloisters below with a satisfied grin. After what had seemed like an eternity of recovering from his battles with Jack and Him, he was finally ready to claim sorry little Townsville all for himself. 

He recalled previous conquests he had made. With his staggering unholy magic and massive armies of golems, monsters and devils, the scourge of Aku had seeped through the cosmos like a creeping, many legged spider. This latest subjugation would add another leg to the metaphorical beast of tyranny and terror that the sorcerer had so patiently nurtured into existence. 

True, that… that _samurai_ had been responsible for some excruciating setbacks, but this time he was barely a threat. Aku chuckled to himself as he thought about how the proud, foolish prince had been reduced to a helpless limping invalid by one quick strike in combat. 

Hungrily gazing at Townsville's skyline through his enchanted viewing portal, he saw three trails of light zip across the sky. Ah yes, the city's little 'heroines'.   
Aku scoffed. He had those quivering tots wrapped around his finger. The last time he had looked into their minds, all three were too paralysed with pessimism to think of challenging the sorcerer.   
Their leader in was plagued with self-doubt, the aggressive brunette was suspicious and worried for her sisters' safety, and the small blond child was in the grip of pure, unadorned fear itself. Some heroines. As soon as they were disposed of, Townsville would easily be his. 

And what of his born-again courtesan, Him? That treacherous, whorish little knave would be the very key to his success.   
At first, Aku had regretted using weak, overly sensitive human energies to create Him. It was what had made him soft, capable of defeat. But just as he had failed to serve Aku, Him could just as easily fail to protect his precious Powerpuff Girls. Despite his human soul he was still connected to the darkness, it was what had given birth to him. Aku could easily tap into this energy to get to the demon. All he had to do was slip up once… then Aku would be able to strike. It was not hard for good intentions to go astray. And the sorcerer fathomed that a supernatural creature such as Him wouldn't go for long without utilising his magic. 

He continued watching the girls zip across the city through his portal, looking contemptfully smug.   
"Soon, little ones…" he rasped, sharpening his long-since healed claw on an ornamental stone blade. "And the only thing you'll have to blame is your trust for that pretty little guardian of yours."   
He leaned in close to the portal, tapping on Buttercup's image with a long arachnid-like finger.   
"It turns out you were right, my dear. He is still no more than a 'bad guy'."   
Aku's monstrous, malice-soaked cackle boomed throughout the castle and beyond. 

* * *

Buttercup charged at the terrible grey-skinned demon minion, striking him down with a forceful kick. The creature howled in agony.   
No sooner had she regained her balance that a sinewy black tentacle lashed out from behind, strangling the small girl. She grunted and wheezed, struggling against the grip of the monster.   
"Strike the centre, remember?" Bubbles cried out from across the way.   
Without hesitation Buttercup focused on the monster's massive body with her laser eyebeams. The tentacle spasmed and squirmed before finally losing life and falling off of its host. 

The brunette zoomed up the side of the monster's gigantic black torso to meet his face. Four equally gigantic black horns, a bristly red beard and a contemptible, vengeful look in his bulging eyes.   
"Alright, Aku, what else have you got? Bring it on!" She screamed. 

The sorcerer moved quickly, twisting his sinuous form in on itself like a ebony-coloured tornado. In a matter of moments the girls were staring up at a gigantic cobra. "Oh, great." Blossom grumbled. "Not this again."   
She turned to her sisters. "Okay. Just as Jack told us, girls. Bubbles, you act as a decoy while—" 

Distracted, the girls were suddenly besieged by a gang of demon minions. Jumping on them from behind, they held each girl fast in their large hands. Smiling with yellowed saliva dripping from their blistered, fang-filled mouths, they gleefully held the panicking children up for their master. 

The Aku-cobra swiftly struck out, swallowing the three in one go. The world turned to black. 

Frowning from behind his control panel, Utonium flipped a switch, and the training booth returned to its familiar environment of clean white tiles. He put his hand to his tired face, dragging it the length of the sapphire-coloured scar that now coursed down his left cheek. 

"Blossom…" Jack scolded from his seat next to Utonium "the battlefield is _not_ a place for idle tacticians."   
Blossom's eyes grew wide in protest. "But—"  
"If you already know what to do, then do it!" the samurai insisted firmly.   
"Yes, Jack." She pouted. 

Soon after Blossom's vision and the girls' agreement to assist Jack, Utonium had taken action. The fellowship agreed that the girls would need some adequate method of preparation and practise if they ever had a hope of facing Aku. The scientist dedicated his days to implementing their old virtual training program with a sort of 'simulated Aku'. With such a powerful and unpredictable adversary, the task of recreating him was difficult, but Utonium used stories of Jack's former battles to collect as much of the sorcerer's combat behaviour as possible. The end result was a combat tutorial that was at least somewhat accurate.   
Jack's three fellow warriors may not have been blessed with a godlike ancestry or a magical weapon, but at least now they offered a decent resistance to his old foe. 

Buttercup stormed out of the training booth and punched the wall of the laboratory.   
"This is pointless," she lamented. "He's gonna turn us into mincemeat!"   
Utonium sighed, shaking his head. Getting up from his seat, he crossed the metal floor and kneeled down next to Buttercup, putting an arm around her.   
"Buttercup… honey, look at me."   
She did so. Her green eyes were aflame with nihilistic frustration, and narrow streams of tears were beginning to fall down her flushed little cheeks.   
"We can't do this! We've tried… This stupid little video game won't prepare us for anything!" she growled, and buried her head in her father's arms. 

"Buttercup," he asked gently, "how many times have you saved the city from danger before?"   
"I dunno…" she sniffled, "there's too many times to count."   
"And I'll bet there were other times when you thought it was impossible, huh? That the monster or criminal or what have you seemed too hard to beat?"   
"Uh-huh." She grunted.   
"But you did beat them, didn't you?"   
A silent nod.   
Utonium smirked. "So what's to stop you from beating them this time?"   
Buttercup slowly raised her head, the last of the tears dropping off her chin.   
Blossom joined in, floating over to the pair. "It's okay, Buttercup. It's not like we're doing this alone."   
The redhead glanced at her father, who shared an optimistic smile with her. 

Buttercup took a deep breath. "But this whole thing is so different from anything we've come up against." Her voice remained despairing.   
Utonium tisked. "Now that doesn't sound like the Buttercup I know! She'd be raring for a challenge like this!"   
"All you need to do is trust in us." Blossom added. 

The youngster gazed at the four supportive, smiling faces around her. She could already feel the first few drops of cynicism start to evaporate from her heart.   
Her eyes brightening, she zipped back into the training booth.   
"So what are we waiting for? Let's get back to it." 

* * *

Training progressed. The exercises were taxing, the afternoons were long. But regardless, the girls persisted, anxious to prepare themselves. All other priorities fell by the wayside. Even Utonium was amazed at the amount of discipline they had. 

"I'm really proud of you girls," he commended as he tucked in their blankets for the night. "You've been putting so much effort into this."   
Bubbles giggled. "Well, Blossom's been a really good leader. She's been copying what Jack told her about and she's been reading about the, uh, Boosh… Boo-shee…"  
"Bushido," Blossom edified.   
"Bushido… so she knows exactly how we should fight." Bubbles asserted.   
"Yeah." Buttercup chimed, giving her ginger-haired sister a friendly slug in the arm. "You've been really amazing!"   
Blossom beamed at her sisters' accolades. "I guess I've just been really excited about helping Jack."   
She turned to her father. "He's gonna be incredible to watch in action, isn't he, Professor?"   
Utonium was silent for a moment as a pensive look toyed with his features. Not wishing to ruin the girls' good spirits, he returned to his cheery demeanour. "I'm sure Aku will have quite a force to contend with." He said simply. "Now let's get those heads down on their pillows." 

He finished tucking the girls in, kissed them goodnight and headed out to the family room, where Him and Jack were absorbed in conversation.   
Leaning on his cane and drawing back a curtain, Jack gazed out at the night sky.   
"The air is unsettled. He'll be here sometime soon." 

Utonium cringed as he made his way down the stairs. "Do we have any exact way of telling when he'll arrive?"   
"Aku?" Him sputtered with a sardonic air. "Good luck. He's as hard to pinpoint as a needle in a haystack."   
Jack nodded. "Regardless, I think the girls are now more ready than they'll ever be. They've built up their combat skills exceptionally." He stated. 

"What about Buttercup?" Him asked, rising from his reclining position on the sofa. "From what you said about how excitable she was in training earlier on, she doesn't sound too composed to me."   
Utonium sat down next to him, tugging the pixie onto his lap.   
"Oh, don't worry," he assured. "No matter how many moodswings she has during practice, my Buttercup's not one to back down from an opportunity to prove herself."   
Him smiled restfully and snuggled up closer to Utonium. 

Reservedly clearing his throat, Jack regained the couple's attention.   
"What's the matter?" Him inquired.   
The samurai cast his eyes down, gesturing to his as yet unhealed leg.   
He looked to the scientist. "You told me I wouldn't be on my feet again for another fortnight or so. We may not have that much time."   
Utonium sighed. "I know. But there's really nothing more I can do for you."   
Jack shook his head. "It's not me I'm worried about. It's the girls. If they are the only ones fit to tackle Aku when he returns…"  
He trailed off, his eyes clouding over and his brow furrowing. 

Him frowned. It was obvious that he and Utonium weren't the only ones who loved the girls. Seeing the concern that the brave Imagawa prince expressed for them moved the demon intensely. He was not attached to the girls in any apparent way, but clearly had his heart set on their success and safety. Him couldn't help but respect Jack greatly for this—he was true nobility in every sense of the word.   
And now that he came to think of it, Him owed a lot to the samurai. He was the one who had insisted that the demon be allowed a place with the Utoniums, the first one who had shown an open acceptance to his pleas of validity. Not to mention the vigilance and self-sacrifice Jack had shown for the sake of ridding the world of Aku. 

Him recalled the pledge he had made:   
_"…I've been protecting the girls from Aku my whole life. Why do you think I would stop now?…"_  
The mission was in danger. The family needed a way to heal Jack before Aku came. If they didn't find one, the girls—and the city— would surely not survive.   
It was time Him lived up to his promise. 

"I wasn't going to mention this, but…"  
Utonium and Jack eagerly looked to Him. A hesitant pause.   
"Go on, love." Utonium urged gently.   
"Well… it's rather risky, but I may be able to heal Jack quickly." 

Jack gaped. "You… you _could?"_   
"Mind you, it's a dangerous practise," Him reiterated, "but done properly you could be fully rejuvenated in a matter of minutes."   
"How?" Utonium asked.   
"One of the powers Aku imbued me with was the ability to heal others by transferring my own energy into their bodies. Useful for when he needed someone to tend to his battle wounds." Him explained. "For a case like Jack's I'd have to use a spell to fix his leg. But…"  
"But?" Jack parroted.   
Him continued, his face darkening. "Well, to do so, I'd be tapping into black magic. That could easily weaken the barriers between here and the world of Aku's lair. One slip of the tongue during the chant could allow Aku—"  
"Don't say it!" The samurai commanded. "The more you dwell on the chance of failure, the more likely it is that you _will_ fail." 

Him complied. "So does that mean you want me to do it?"   
"We are in a desperate situation. Risk or not, it's the only option we have."   
The samurai hobbled over to the sofa and placed his hand on the demon's shoulder.   
"I have faith in you." He avowed.   
He slowly turned, crossed the rug, climbed the staircase and retired for the evening. 

Absorbing the intimate solitude, Utonium and Him sat alone together for a few still, mollifying minutes until even the muted ticking of the wall clock couldn't distinguish one moment from another. The simple luxury of the downy upholstery and the feel of one another's embrace easily overwhelmed any desire to get up.   
Lazily, Utonium moved to speak.   
"You've done so much for us…" he sighed, "I can't imagine how to repay you."   
"Easy." Him answered softly. "You already have." 

* * *

Evening was falling upon Townsville. As the city lights flickered off and the stars appeared, Him knelt in the backyard making measured, essential preparations for the spell. He had set up a large pentagram on the ground that consisted of pebbles and candles to channel the energy needed. At the moment, he was smoking out the area with a small pile of exotic, smouldering leaves.   
The girls looked on as he went about his duty. Bubbles held her hands to her mouth coughing, her eyes watering at the stinging dry texture of the smoke.   
Buttercup shivered. "Are you sure we should be letting him do this?" she asked Blossom.   
The redhead looked over at Jack and Utonium, who were watching Him's movements from the back door.   
"Jack seems to be okay with it." she answered, trying to sound confident.   
Buttercup now looked over at the samurai as well.   
"And Jack has always come through for us before." Blossom added.   
"I know." The brunette conceded. "It's just that _he_ hasn't." She pointed curtly at the preoccupied Him. 

The demon cleared out the smoke. Looking up and nodding to the others, Utonium helped Jack over to the pentagram and lay him down on the grass. The scientist then stood back, joining the girls' side.   
"This shouldn't take too long." He assured them.   
Gently, Him placed a claw on Jack's chest, ensuring that that he was lying firm and flat in the pentagram's centre.   
All the samurai saw was the dark purple sky and a few flecks of starlight. Reaching out of his range of vision, Him leant over to retrieve something.   
Jack heard an all too familiar sound of smooth metal sliding along treated wood.   
"My sword!" he gasped as the demon handed it to him carefully. "What is this for?"   
"Just in case. And…" Him smiled down at Jack, "I thought you might feel better having it by your side."   
Jack clutched the handle tight. 

With a quick clean movement of Him's claw, a small gash was carved into Jack's undressed leg. He winced slightly, but quickly managed to bear the necessary pain. Huddling over the exposed shank, Him nervously began.   
He raised a trembling arm up over Jack until his claw was parallel with the samurai's wound. Closing his eyes, he centred himself, and started concentrating his energy. He didn't move for a long time. His breathing was deep and even. He had to work hard to collect and focus just the right amount of his life force, or the magic could dissipate and the whole undertaking would be in vain. 

"Is something meant to happen?" Buttercup hissed, growing increasingly impatient with the tediousness of watching Him. Her family abruptly shushed her.   
Soon enough, sparkling crystalline droplets of what seemed to be liquid began to form on Him's forearm. They slid down his smooth dark skin in neat little columns, collecting at his wrist and dropping directly into Jack's open cut. 

Him allowed himself to relax a little as the small pool of energy gradually drained out of his body. Everything was going as he had hoped. He had succeeded in ignoring every tiny distraction, and thus blocking out all possible entries for Aku. 

A scream.   
The demon was jilted from his meditative state at Jack's tormented shriek.   
"Jack!" Him cried, placing his claws on the writhing man's shoulders. "What happened!?"   
The group watched as the glittering liquid life seeped out from Jack's cut. As the fluid travelled down his leg, its brilliant hue dimmed to a fathomless coal black.   
Aku was using the unguarded life energy in Jack's open wound as his portal.   
How could Him have been so foolish as to overlook such an obvious power source? 

Crimson mists began to thicken the air and obscure the group's vision. Fleet black shadows started bounding into existence, hopping excitedly about the pentagram. One of them approached a trembling Bubbles and traumatised the child by morphing into a hideous monster's face, roaring loudly in her ear.   
Aghast at this evil territory that was only a few seconds before a part of his home, Utonium clutched his children tight, slowly backing away from the pentagram. The star shape that lay on the ground began to burn with a fierce green fire. Him and Jack remained glued to the spot, terrified of what they knew was to follow. 

The star-shaped green fire died down, then disappeared completely. A few moments of blood-curdling silence.   
The same familiar feeling of trepidation and fear Blossom had known before was positively choking her now. She could literally _taste_ it. 

The earth rumbled. Like a stinging, boiling volcano geyser, a huge jet of darkness spewed up out of the pentagram. Towering up in the air, it solidified. At its head, two pitiless bulging eyes opened wide. Four horns grew out of the form, and a flaming red beard burst into life. 

Aku grinned at the puny collection of beleaguered mortals that lay before him.   
"My, my, my…" he rumbled, "such a miserable bunch you are."   
He kneeled down, and Bubbles whimpered at the sight of his monstrous facade, hiding her face in Utonium's sleeve.   
"Oh, what formidable champions this city has." He joked. "Unflinching in the face of adversity! What's the matter, my child? Scared of old Uncle Aku?" He poked Bubbles' cherubesque arm, causing the whimpering to become distressed crying. Utonium snatched her away from the sorcerer's reach.   
"Stay away from her—"  
"—You monster!" 

Aku turned to see Him standing resolutely before his colossal form, trembling with rage.   
The red-skinned pixie moved to speak again, but Aku interjected with a giant claw to his lips.   
"Oh, no need to continue the charade any longer, my dear. You've done a more than sufficient job in aiding our quest."   
Him's eyes widened. "What?"   
"Such a masterful act of lies and deceit how you tricked those silly humans into believing your little sob story." Aku placed his claw to his forehead in a mock melodrama. "'Woe is me, I'm just a little lost imp who wants to be part of the family.'" He cooed, doing a passable imitation of Him's dainty voice. "Almost as devious as seducing that dimwitted scientist!"   
Him turned to Jack and the Utoniums, who looked back at the demon with a stony silence.   
"It's not true!" He vouched frantically.   
They didn't react.   
Aku also remained unmoved. "But now it's time for your master to take over the cause. This sorry little town will soon be all ours."   
He turned back to the girls, the same rapacious grin affixed to his face. "I'll deal with you urchins later." 

As the sorcerer turned to leave, a small glint of white light lying on the ground caught his eye.   
He looked down to find Jack's sword in the grass, a good distance from the reach of the injured samurai.   
Aku gasped like a child who had been given a new toy. "Well, isn't _this_ a fortunate turn of events!"   
Jack looked on in muted horror. No. No. No. This _wasn't_ happening.   
Helpless and limp, he watched as Aku picked up the weapon in his claw, and in one short magical blast from his eyes shattered the blade into a million useless shards.   
The prince cried out in utter dismay as he saw fragments of the destroyed weapon fall to the ground, the once beautiful white metal now grey and dull. 

"Farewell, mortals."   
Like a gigantic serpent creeping across the gravelly desert floor, Aku began to glide towards Townsville's skyline. In his wake, the choking crimson mists and shadow demons followed him, eager for a part of the carnage. All that he touched was soon drenched in darkness. 

* * *

It couldn't be.   
Utonium knelt on the grass, unable to move. Unable to think clearly. It felt like a large chunk of his soul had been vacuumed out of his body. All he could do was numbly caress the blue scar that adorned his cheek. 

"I hate you I hate you I hate you!!"   
Buttercup, tearful with fury, laid a quick succession of unfocused punches into Him before Blossom managed to restrain her. The dark haired puff struggled, her vengeance-thirsty eyes not once roaming from the demon. He lay on the ground, hurt and hopeless and helpless. 

Standing next to her sisters, Bubbles was wailing relentlessly. Getting up, Utonium dragged himself across the lawn and picked up the bawling child. Somehow he managed to haul his gaze over to Him.   
Utonium's zombie-like expression was instantly revived by anguish and betrayal.   
"You…" He whispered.   
"I swear…" Him moaned. "I didn't mean to help him. He tricked the both of us!"   
Utonium couldn't bear to look in those eyes. Still as lovely and soulful as ever, clear teardrops catching what little light was left in the tainted atmosphere. It was hard to imagine that those were the eyes of a traitor.   
But the scientist looked about at the cruel reality that surrounded him. 

He turned his face away.   
"Get out." He snarled.   
A new wave of distress washed over Him.   
"But—"  
"NOW!" 

Broken, the demon disappeared in a dim gust of smoke. 

* * *

Distant thundering of wicked magic could be heard reverberating throughout the city. Small explosions, like fireworks, and the tortured screams of unfortunate evening commuters rang like doomsday warnings every time Aku released another burst of his wizardry.   
Many of the buildings were aflame, but instead of a natural orange fire, they burned with the same unholy green hue the girls had seen in the possessed pentagram. By this time, the caustic crimson mist had fallen over the whole of Townsville, and most of the city's electricity was cut.   
Appalled citizens came out of their houses and gathered in the streets of suburbia, watching impotently as the sorcerer lay siege to their beloved home. 

The girls knelt down on the backyard patio in a pitiful acceptance of the fall of their city.   
Townsville had gone to hell. 

Like clockwork, the Powerpuff hotline began buzzing like crazy in the family room. Buttercup scoffed. The townspeople were idiots to think that _anything_ could stop evil as potent as this from staking its claim… let alone three flying genetic accidents. 

Blossom gazed over at Jack with sorry eyes. The poor prince, robbed of his power and his dignity, had dropped down amongst the scattering of broken metal that used to be his sword. His trusty beacon had burnt out.   
Jack returned the girl's gaze.   
"I'm sorry." He wavered. "I'm sorry that I could not be the hero that your city needed. I guess it was just not my place." 

"It's alright." Blossom replied, her usually strong, clear voice sounding weak and passionless.   
She looked back up at the dilapidated skyline again. It wouldn't be long until Aku claimed the entire city. Blossom tried to recapture the fear she had felt before, but the bleakness of the situation was too much. She didn't really feel anything anymore. Oh well, perhaps she should just stick to _her_ place while she waited for the sorcerer to come and destroy her. Perish while doing as she had always done.   
The girl asked herself: what was her place?   
Then she heard the ongoing sound of the hotline ringing inside. 

Without a second thought, she rose from her kneeling position and took off into the air, her cherry-blossom light trail glowing clearly in the gloom.   
"Where are _you_ going?" Buttercup asked rudely.   
"To defend Townsville." She replied flatly. "Like always."   
Buttercup looked at Blossom, then to Bubbles, and back again to Blossom. 

A few seconds later, a vivid tri-coloured rainbow was streaming freely across the dirty sky. 

* * *

It was easy to track down the sorcerer— Aku wasn't exactly a master when it came to clandestine battle tactics. The trio effortlessly followed his trail of devastation, sad for the charred, ravaged path that cut through their city like a painful laceration.   
A seemingly endless gaggle of shadow demons also lay in his wake, terrorising random citizens and further damaging the land. A fiery Buttercup was raring to send these minions back to the hell they came from, if it were not for Blossom's firm command:   
"Leave them. It's Aku we're after."   
The usually rebellious brunette obeyed. 

As Blossom led the group closer to the skyline, she could see it was swamped by a large shadow similar to the one they had seen the day Aku first appeared. The leader sighed… this was way too one-sided to leave any room for hope. Regardless, she and her sisters were bound to the duty of serving as the city's defence. At all costs. 

Luckily, the shadow hanging over the city centre was not the same as the opaque darkness they had encountered before—Aku's crimson mist was darker and more condensed, but the world around the girls was still entirely visible. 

"Aku!"   
The villain was coiled around the dome of Townsville City Hall, issuing forth blasts of magic and watching the panicking commuters gleefully.   
He looked up at the girls with detached interest. Casually he rose, luxuriously stretching out.   
"Finally get up the conceit to challenge me, did you? Such a pity. I may have shown some mercy towards you if you had just stayed in your place."   
Though quivering, Blossom didn't recoil.   
"Bring it on." 

Six black tentacles instantly shot out from Aku's body, three grasping the surprised girls by the torso—and the other three wrapping around their heads like a blindfold, preventing the use of their eye lasers.   
Nice one, Blossom thought, but not good enough. Calm and resolute, she began to whirl around, soon spinning rapidly like a wild mini-typhoon. In no time at all she was untangled, wasting no time in lasering Aku's body and destroying the winding appendages. Buttercup and Bubbles now too burst free.   
For a brief second the sorcerer's expression became puzzled, but he soon regained his wits. "Child's play," he sneered. 

His form twisting and warping, Aku spiralled in on himself for a few tense moments before taking on his formidable cobra form. The 'snake' elevated his huge head high above the skyscrapers and spat a rain of venom down on the street. The areas it splattered upon instantly decayed under its acidic essence.   
He struck out, but none of the girls could tell what he was aiming for. Quickly he swerved and grabbed Bubbles with his tail, constricting any movement or resistance. The girl screamed.   
Blossom broke out in a cold sweat. They had never defeated the Aku-snake in training.   
Hopeless.   
"Blossom! What kills cobras!?" Buttercup called out, the same desperation audible in her voice.   
She thought back to her junior science magazines… of course!   
"Follow my lead," she told Buttercup.   
Blossom motioned for her sister to grab hold of her legs. Buttercup did so, still unaware of the redhead's plan.   
"So what are we—" 

Aku lunged forward, his long fangs bared. But not before the two sisters, led by Blossom, became a pink and green streak of speed, zooming away from the monster's attack like an agile flash of lightning. The pair were moving at their very quickest. Confused by this new tactic, yet unfazed, he tried a second blow… the girls were still too fast for him.   
Again and again, the Aku-snake tried to catch them, yet to no avail. The huge lumbering beast was no match for two tiny, zippy little rivals such as these. It was almost like the proverbial battle of the king cobra against the fleet-footed mongoose… 

Before the sorcerer even realised what that implied, Blossom and Buttercup simultaneously struck his scaly, unprotected neck in the same fashion as the famous furry African predator. He reacted, his supple body stiffening in shock, letting loose the little blond Puff captured in his tail. Bubbles rejoined her sisters, a firm expression of optimism on her face.   
"Yay Blossom!" She squealed.   
The leader of the trio glanced between her two team-mates, putting a hand on their backs. "We're still one step ahead. If we can keep up…" 

Blossom fell speechless as she watched Aku rise again. She had no chance of anticipating his next move.   
Back in his usual form, he billowed over them, his eyes burning with the same green fire that laced the city. He swooped down upon the girls like a harpy. Mouth agape, he swallowed them in an instant. 

Blossom whimpered. This was the same darkness she had been trapped in on the day Aku arrived. Despite her previous successes, it still had the same frightening, disorienting atmosphere as before. It was Jack who had rescued the girls from Aku that morning… she had no idea how to overcome this herself.   
Then she heard a familiar, high-pitched sniffle. It was Bubbles crying.   
Blossom felt her sister's heaving shoulder underneath her palm.   
"Shut up, Bubbles." Buttercup's voice.   
They were together!   
"Listen girls," Blossom asserted, "we need to find a way out of here together. Do _not_ let go of each other."   
Carefully trailing her hands down her sisters' arms and squeezing their own hands tight, Blossom stared off into the blackness and tried to think.   
What destroyed darkness like this?   
She remembered the night she had stayed up late with Jack. The glow of the magic sword, the calming warmth of the kitchen lamp…  
Light.   
"On my signal, we take off and fly upwards." 

As one, the sisters zoomed up into the blackness, the tight circle they formed turning their individual light trails into one large, gleaming shaft of brightness. Like breaking glass, cracks formed in the darkness, and eventually the rainbow light seeped all throughout the once unfathomable black.   
The next thing the girls knew they were back on the city street, a startled Aku teetering in front of them. 

He regained his balance, trying to ignore the weariness that was gradually eroding his powers. He stared down the three children, finding new strength in his anger. Bringing his claw down upon the three, he hit them with full force, driving them into the pavement. 

Utonium's car, its usual polished white colour stained and dirty from driving through all the debris, screeched up to the scene. Utonium quickly exited and helped Jack out, the samurai having to lean on the vehicle's side to prop himself up.   
"Girls!" Utonium exclaimed upon seeing the battle-worn triplets. At the sound of his voice, they creakily looked up from the pavement.   
He tried to run forth and bundle them up in his arms, but Jack used all the strength he could muster to hold back the man, who was irrational with paternal panic.   
"Girls…" Jack strained "you must not stop fighting. If you can continue to wear down Aku, there is a good chance he will give in and abort the battle. Even without the sword it is still possible to tire him out…" 

Aku knew that voice.   
No! That arrogant bastard would _not_ survive to push the girls onto victory! "HOW DARE YOU CHALLENGE THE MIGHT OF AKU!"   
The monster pounced. But Blossom was quick—she pushed the helpless Jack out of the way just before Aku met the ground.   
"You… you leave him alone!" The child wailed, shielding Jack with an aggressive pose.   
The wizard hesitated and narrowed his eyes. "Why are you so determined to protect the samurai? It's not like he's your family."   
Blossom winced.   
"In fact, not even that imbecile of a man you call 'father' is your family."   
Her body remained tense and upright, but upon her face, weakness and dejection were starting to appear.   
"You have no real family, do you, my little mutant? In fact, I'd hesitate to even call you human…" 

This was cruelty at its finest. Aku was cutting deep into Blossom's most sensitive nerve. She was trying valiantly to rid herself of the terrible thoughts he was planting in her mind, but it was no use.   
Fighting back tears, she shrieked and quickly dashed away… away from Aku's cruelty, away from her so-called 'relatives', away from everything.   
The evil darkness the sorcerer had created seemed like a forgiving alternative to all this horror. 

Aku grinned. This was just what he had been waiting for.   
With one sweep of his claw, he released a volley of jagged spears from his body. In no time at all they caught up with the fleeing girl, and struck her. Every last one impaled right through her with a sick gory splatter.   
The spearheads vanished into the crimson mist, and her inactive frame fell to the ground. 

For a few agonising, almost surreal moments, time came to a standstill for the surviving members of the Utonium family. 

Bubbles and Buttercup were silent and still, immovable, their eyes glazed over with shock. All they could do was stare blankly at Blossom's body lying in the middle distance.   
Jack struggled to keep the hysterical Utonium in his grasp. The father's agonised cries rang throughout the entire city. 

* * *

All that could be heard in the grey wasteland of limbo was a few distant, lonely drafts of wind.   
Him lay on the rocky ground, face down against the hard, grainy stone. He didn't even bother to close his eyes. Here in purgatory there was little point to anything. The only thing that registered with him was his shame and remorse. 

Then…  
A vision. Hard black piercing soft flesh. A mutilated body falling to the ground. Horrified children.   
And his beloved Utonium, strangled with heartache.   
Blossom had been slain.   
Him reacted to the images with instant energy. He got up, vigorous new purpose driving his movements.   
He had little time to spare. 

* * *

All eyes were diverted from the sight of the murdered Puff by a resplendent blast of pink smoke atop an apartment building.   
With painstaking delay, it cleared to reveal a slinky figure standing tall in front of the pearl white moon.   
The figure jumped down from the roof with amazing, cat-like dexterity, lighting gracefully upon the cracked sidewalk.   
It was Him. 

"Buttercup, Bubbles, hold off Aku for me." He barked.   
After a puzzled, untrusting pause, Bubbles obeyed, readying herself to square off with the gigantic sorcerer.   
Aku was blank with confusion "What are you doing…" he rasped.   
Buttercup remained fixed to the spot. All she could do was look up at the demon.   
"Please… for your sister." Him begged, returning Buttercup's gaze.   
It was funny, but she had never noticed those sympathetic eyes before…  
"For God's sake, Buttercup! Help out Bubbles!" Jack bellowed. 

As she did, Him approached the corpse of Blossom. Kneeling down and picking her up in his arms, he gasped at the sight of her bloodstained body.   
"Oh, Blossom…" He slowly touched a claw to her cold little cheek. What had that monster done to her?   
Not willing to be stalled any longer, he reclaimed his composure.   
He was meeting with his destiny. 

Utonium watched the demon's actions with intense concern. "What's he doing to my baby!?"   
The imp drew his claw across the girl's limp shoulder, creating a deep gash. At once blood gushed forth from it, splashing upon the ground in a large puddle.   
Utonium felt sick to the stomach.   
"Hope this works…" Him murmured to himself apprehensively.   
He placed his lips up to the wound, effectively stopping the blood flow. 

Without warning, the two connected bodies burst forth an incomparable rose-coloured light, bright as the sun. All the onlookers were immediately dazzled and blinded—even Aku was overcome by its force. Once their eyes adjusted to the near divine glare, they saw Him and Blossom as two clear silouhettes, the demon still with his lips attached to Blossom's shoulder. 

"What the…" Buttercup stuttered.   
"I don't believe it." Jack gushed.   
"What's he doing?"   
"If I'm not mistaken… he's transferring all his life into Blossom!" 

* * *

Blossom.   
Blossom… Utonium. She remembered now: that was her name.   
Her vision was blurred, her hearing was muffled. The only telltale sign of reality was the beautiful quenching feeling of the life energy as it entered her body.   
Thoughts, memories, emotions swirled about in her mind, creating a confusing, gurgling mess.   
Eventually they slowed, and settled on her birth.   
Not exactly a memory, but an instinctive knowledge of her own Genesis. 

A handsome man in a pure white robe, his eyes glistening with determination.   
Sugar. Spice. Everything nice.   
And… something else. Something else before the chemical X explosion.   
A small syringe, plunged into the robed man's arm, drew a vial of blood. He poured the thick warm crimson into the mixture.   
The blood of a stream of nobles, warriors, defenders of mankind, all trickling out from the misty heights of antiquity.   
Into her.   
She knew now. She was a descendant, a princess of the ancient Imagawa throne. The blood of a thousand legends pulsed in her veins. 

* * *

Exhausted from his efforts, the demon dropped to the ground.   
The light shrank, now becoming a small sphere, like a star, centred in Blossom's chest. The child began to rise slowly, tendrils of her long hair swimming about in airy suspension.   
All looked on in absolute astonishment. 

Blossom could feel her royal blood warming. The anger of her ancestors began to rise up and take hold of her instincts.   
She opened her eyes to find herself face to face with Aku. The oppressor of her people.   
"You took my family's kingdom." She growled.   
The sorcerer's eyes widened. That heroism, that pride, that unmistakable sense of duty—she was of Imagawa blood! The only kith capable of… destroying him.   
All this time. How could he have not sensed it?   
He shrank back, petrified of the princess before him. Trying to run from her was futile.   
She leapt further up in the sky with a mighty war cry. Crashing down on Aku, she struck him with a solid fist. 

The light that radiated from Blossom's chest imploded. Aku stiffened, his expression losing all previous energy. For a few seconds he hung in the air, wooden and inert. Then, like a gigantic shockwave, his body became a shimmering ring of magic. It rippled throughout the city.   
Everything it touched was healed, restored to its original unharmed state. The shadow demons and crimson mists fell away, dissolving in the air. Eventually the wave hit the pentagram in the Utonium backyard—like water draining down a plug hole, all the residue blackness and evil seeped away into it until it was no more.   
Townsville returned to its calm, quiescent glory. 

Blossom stood on the street in silent awe.   
This whole evening felt so… make-believe.   
"Blossom! You did it!"   
Buttercup and Bubbles ran up to their sister, joyful and relieved. They clamped their arms about her neck, bounding up and down with girlish squeals of happiness. Suddenly, Bubbles spotted something on the road ahead of them.   
"Look!" She pointed in its direction.   
Gingerly, the three girls approached it.   
The body of a malnourished, sallow old man lay upon the concrete. The only indication he was alive was his shallow, laboured breathing. Blossom's mouth fell open in amazement—this was an utterly pitiful creature.   
"Here, let me—"  
She held out a hand to him, but before the old man could even react, a formless shadow whooshed into life, enclosed the tortured human in its darkness and disappeared again.   
"Oh my…" Bubbles remarked.   
"Feel no pity for that wayward priest." A healthy, replenished Jack strided up to the girls. "One careless decision in his past turned him into the evil being that has caused this universe untold centuries of suffering." 

A maudlin, heart-rending cry pierced the warm night air.   
"Him… no…!" 

Jack and the girls turned to see Utonium kneeling on the ground, holding a withering Him in his arms.   
The demon's once shining eyes were dim and dark, ready to accept the inevitable. But even now they still glowed softly with love when looking into Utonium's own.   
"I should have listened to you, I was so stupid!" the man lamented, teardrops already surging down his cheeks.   
Him managed a soothing smile. "It wasn't your fault." He breathed. "It was… it was my duty."   
Utonium sobbed. "You just sacrificed so much."   
He paused. Something smooth and delicate was stroking the back of his neck. Gently, he reached around and pulled it off.   
"You… you have hands!" He stammered.   
Him nodded weakly. "Aku's magic is no more."   
Utonium passionately grasped the beautiful appendages, the fingers he would never again feel delight his skin, and kissed them tenderly.   
The demon's body shuddered slightly. He knew that the final few droplets of his life were about to drain away.   
"Goodbye, my love."   
With the last of his energy, he leant up and soundly kissed Utonium. The scientist leant into Him, desperate for any final comfort.   
When he pulled away, the graceful, elegant figure lay cold and still.   
Utonium looked down at the ashen features, unable to believe what he saw. 

Then, from behind her sisters, a sorry and sombre Buttercup quietly approached her grieving father and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.   
"I'm sorry." She whispered, bowing her head.   
Slowly, Him's body faded into nothing. Exquisite, wispy pink vapours of beauty rose up from Utonium's arms and drifted away into the sky.   
The man fell upon the ground in another fit of sorrowful tears. 

* * *

The morning was mild, the air distilled. The city was impassive, almost like everyone within it had forgotten the events of the past month.   
Blossom stood on the backyard patio, blankly staring at the infinite blue sky. The feeling within her this morning was like recovering her breath after a mile of sprinting. Tired, light-headed… and yet triumphant. 

She went back inside, her wide, observant eyes falling on each member of her family. Bubbles and Jack sat together on the couch, Bubbles talking him through one of her favourite cartoons. They had recovered Jack's sword in the grass last night, intact and restored to its former brilliance. Blossom was happy for him, but couldn't help but wonder where he would go from here.   
Buttercup sat by them, but Blossom could tell her mind wasn't on the TV. Two opposing sentiments of joy and remorse played a tug of war with her expression, exhibiting her still unsettled thoughts. She had been silent since returning home from the battle last night.   
And then… then there was her father. Wordlessly he sat at the kitchen table, hair mussed and bathrobe rumpled, trying in vain to summon the energy to prepare breakfast. It had been one rough night for him, that was for sure.   
Blossom gazed at him, putting a hand to the blue scar on her shoulder. She tried not to think about Him. She didn't want to fall into the same despondency.   
She approached Utonium and wrapped her arms about his neck. "I'll get everybody some toast." She offered.   
A silent thankyou. He returned the cuddle and achieved a little smile for her. 

* * *

"Yes, girls…" Utonium sighed, looking into his mug of coffee, "it's true. I'm sorry I lied to you about it for so long, but I didn't want anyone else to copy the perfect girl formula successfully. Part of what you are made of is indeed my own blood."   
Bubbles beamed. "So Jack is really our grandpa!"   
"And you're _really_ our dad." Buttercup reached over and lovingly nuzzled her head in his sleeve. Looking down at her, Utonium couldn't help but feel a small ray of joy penetrate his dismal mood.   
"So that's why you knew we were able to fight Aku." she added. 

Jack was cheered by the current outpouring of affection and unity. "The Imagawas have always been a proud, solid brood. It is our simple instinct to protect the land we belong to and the ones we care about. Ours is a lineage that has been truly blessed."  
He took in the view of his progeny before him, weary from arduous weeks of battle, yet still persistent and united. The pride he felt at that moment was simply inspiring. But then… 

He felt something dark and frozen brush against his cheek. A fleeting, invisible motion that chilled him to the bone.   
He looked at his sword, awaiting him on the cabinet in the living room.   
"My quest is not complete." 

Blossom frowned. "But we defeated Aku!"   
"But you did not _kill_ him, my child." Jack responded. "That decrepit old man you saw lying on the street has been reclaimed by the darkness. He will soon be empowered with the same horrible magic as before, and rise once again."   
Jack got up from the table and paced over to the window, staring out over the town.   
"Not until I destroy him with the scared sword will Aku be gone for good."   
"So he's gonna come back to Townsville!?" Bubbles squeaked. 

Jack turned back to the girls and shook his head.   
"No. Not now he realises it is guarded by descendants of the Imagawa throne. Just as it is my destiny to slay Aku and avenge my Empire, it is yours to watch over this land, protecting it from any evil forces."   
He knelt down between Blossom and Bubbles' seats, looking directly at the three girls.   
"I guess you could say we follow a common current of fate." He grinned. "It is reassuring to know that even now, so many years in the future, the river of the Imagawa bloodline still flows strong."   
Blossom's expression shimmered with happiness for the momentous praise bestowed upon her.   
She felt truly honoured. 

* * *

Jack left a few days later. He had no idea where or when Aku would pop up again, but the samurai wanted to make sure that he was there when he did.   
It was early in the morning when he set off, before sunrise. The family made a scene of wishing him well and lamenting his departure. Jack remained composed, but couldn't deny himself the internal sting of saying goodbye to the people who had grown so precious to him. Especially Blossom.   
"Stay focused," he told her "and show support for your father. He needs you right now." With his gaze Jack indicated the heart-broken man.   
Blossom nodded dutifully. She then looked up at Jack with watery eyes.   
They shared a long, firm hug.   
"I'll miss you, 'Grandpa'."   
Jack couldn't help but chuckle at the nickname. 

Currently, he was ascending a hill on the edge of the woods, trekking through the wilderness just outside the city. A few stars still dotted the sky, but a slow pool of light was valiantly climbing the edge of the far horizon. 

Jack paused at the top of the hill and stared out at the land beyond Townsville. He thought about his bloodline, startled that it had survived with such potency for so long. He wondered just how many more of his descendants were scattered throughout the future, upholding courageous vigils against the scourge of darkness. He wondered if he would meet any more of them on his journeys.   
A warm beam of red sunlight fell upon the grassy slope of the hillside and washed over Jack. He felt warm. There were others of his kind out there, all born to share and continue his destiny. Even on his cold nights of solitary wandering, he had never been truly alone. Thanks to the Imagawa, this world—_his_ world—was safe. 

But then another thought occurred to him: what if the course of his lineage one day dried up and ran out? 

Jack's train of thought was interrupted by a haunting canine howl. Looking up, he saw a large wolf standing on the crest of the hill some distance away. This noble creature had the most peculiar colouring Jack had ever seen: instead of the usual grey, its coat was a shade of dark red, and its eyes were a radiant jade green.   
The animal stood tall and regal, and looked at Jack almost as if to say:   
"I'm here for them." 

The samurai smiled. 

**THE END **

* * *

EPILOGUE 

One day in the great and prosperous land of Japan, a baby girl was born to the Emperor: the wise and worldly old samurai Imagawa. The court was astounded at her peculiar beauty—for unlike any other child they had seen before, the little princess' eyes were the colour of blooming cherry blossoms. 


End file.
